YOUNGSTOWN — The city’s new police chief, Sharon Cole, announced Wednesday that the city’s Impact Initiative for this year is intended to reduce violence and improve public safety in Youngstown.

It will use targeted enforcement, saturation patrols and “proactive policing in areas identified through our crime data. Just as important, we will continue to work with our community to keep our neighborhoods safe,” she said during a news conference in Youngstown City Council chambers.

As in previous years, the project utilizes partnerships with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Adult Parole Authority and the Ohio Investigative Unit and the city’s Community Initiative to Reduce Violence.

The initiative has been employed in the city under various names going back to around 2021.

“Together we are combining resources and intelligence to address crime effectively,” she said.

New Youngstown Mayor Derrick McDowell started his remarks by putting some of the onus on the citizens of Youngstown.

“This is not a law-enforcement only level we are pulling,” he said. “We’re pulling out every stop possible to ensure that our residents are safe and feel safe in our community.”

He said the Impact Initiative is not “fluff,” noting that organizations such as C.I.R.V. “is ongoing. There are conversations … there are partnerships that are happening each and every day.” He encouraged residents to “step in and be a part of this process, be a part of what makes Youngstown safe. Be a part of a block watch, a neighborhood group, a community association. Those are the front line foot soldiers who are out here ensuring that our city is beautified, is seen and valued and appreciated and safe.

There are nonprofits and other organizations such as the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, Kool Bois. We have organizations doing work in our community, Inspiring Minds. Get engaged, get involved,” he said.

He said he is “out there. I’m in the trenches. We have council members, Councilman (Julius) Oliver. He’s out there. He is in the trenches. He is having these community conversations. He’s in our block watches, our neighborhood groups.”

McDowell said he does not care what people think about “snitching. We have information that could aid in solving real crimes in our community, and we are withholding that. We raise our hands when we ask do we want to see a community that is safer, and the answer is yes, but our actions must match that answer,” he said.

He said coming forward is “a noble cause on behalf of the residents I love and so many others love. So I just want to issue that call to action and that challenge.”

He said, “Don’t allow Youngstown’s finest, YPD, and its partnering agencies to be left out here alone to do this work. Join with us. If you need more information, reach out to the city, and we can plug you in on how to get in on this work.”

Youngstown police’s Neighborhood Response Unit and its head, Lt. Gerald Slattery said the unit will be working with all of the partnering agencies on the Impact Initiative.

He wanted the public to know that they will be “stopping a lot of cars. It’s crime interdiction. If you do a traffic violation, you will probably get stopped. If you are legal, driver’s license and sometimes even if you do not have a driver’s license, we have resources to get you that.”

He said, “We are not out there writing the ticky-tack tickets as far as running red lights or whatever. Are we going to stop you for that? Of course, but it’ll probably end up in a warning. We are out there looking for the violent crime and the individuals causing them.”

Lt. Joel Smith with the Ohio State Highway Patrol thanked Slattery, Cole and McDowell “for inviting us back this year,” saying that “As we enter the summer months, our agency will again launch a coordinated saturation detail focused on improving safety and restoring peace in the neighborhoods most impacted by violence.”

Data shows where the work should be focused, and the initiative will put officers in the areas with the most violent crimes, Smith said.

“On behalf of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, I want the community to know that we care deeply about your safety and well being. We see the harm that violent crime causes, families torn apart and futures altered in these neighborhoods,” he said.

He said Gov. Mike DeWine makes reducing violent crime a “central priority of his administration.”

He said the patrol’s aviation division will support ground operations by monitoring for violent crimes in progress and assisting in both vehicle and foot pursuits.

“Together we made 49 criminal arrests — 39 felony arrests and 10 misdemeanors. We handled 28 drug cases, recovered three stolen vehicles and seized 15 firearms,” he said about last year’s effort.

FBI Special Agent Corey Taylor said the FBI will be providing “intel support, as well as an avenue for federal violations” and being a “force multiplier for officer safety.”`

Deputy U.S. Marshal Fred Herdman said the U.S. Marshal’s Service is happy to assist with “manpower” and to continue to apprehend violent, wanted fugitives.

Jason Hawkins of the Ohio Adult Parole Authority said the agency already partners with several of the agencies involved in the Impact Initiative “regularly” and supervises adults who are released from state prisons.

“We will provide intel, manpower and anything else that is needed to assist with the safety of our community,” he said.

Chief Deputy Bill Cappabianca of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office said, “We care about the city of Youngstown.” He said the sheriff’s office role will be to be a part of the support system for the city.

C.I.R.V. Executive Director Guy Burney said its focus will be on prevention and intervention, which means ‘I don’t want young people to get involved in this initiative, so we will continue to create pathways so that young men and women can take a different path,” noting that choices “are long lasting and life changing.”

He said, “Our plea is that fathers, mothers, parents, grandparents, share the responsibility of making our community safe by understanding where and what our young people are doing.”

Cole did not answer media questions, but referred questions to spokesman Andy Resnick.

When Resnick was asked if crime in Youngstown is presenting any new challenges or issues, he said the Impact Initiative follows the trends that become apparent through crime statistics, which are updated throughout the spring, summer and beyond.

“It’s similar to what it was last year,” Resnick said. He would not discuss any specific trends, saying the initiative combines resources, shares information between the partners and “really strengthens our efforts.”

Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber CEO and Executive Director Guy Coviello said of the return of Project Impact: “A safe city is essential to economic growth and long-term opportunity, and we applaud Mayor Derrick McDowell, his administration and their partners for taking this step.

“When Youngstown is safer, it becomes more attractive for families and businesses, helping us grow our population, strengthen our economy and improve quality of life,” Covielo said.