Response time

[our2cents]

By the way did any one hear where the 94 year old lady that was beaten and robbed lived?

We heard units dispatched again today for a possible burglary at her house.  We didn't catch the outcome of the call.

http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/331295831554226.php
YOUNGSTOWN — A 94-year-old Kenneth Avenue woman was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center after being roughed up in her home during a burglary, police said. A home health worker found the woman Monday afternoon, police said. Two windows had been forced open. The victim had been beaten, possibly to the point of being unconscious, police said. The assailant disabled the phone. Contents of the victim's wallet were strewn about with several credit cards missing. The woman's condition wasn't available Tuesday.

[Mary]

I would be very interested in bringing this to city council. Any one else?

Research would need to be done and it would require some work but I would be more then willing.

By the way did any one hear where the 94 year old lady that was beaten and robbed lived?

[Micky]

Youngstown's crime situation is totally out of control.  Other cities our size have far fewer crime stats.  I wonder how many police and fire persons should a city our size actually have and how many we currently have. The mayor should stop being so proud and beg for other agencies to come in for awhile at least until things get under better control. 

It's distressing to hear on the scanner that our elderly citizens are being beaten in their own sanctuaries. 

What is it going to take before our voices are heard?  Do you think we should initiate some kind of written petition to bring to city council and administration?

[Mary]

Sorry i don't think i was clear. There ARE only two people working juvenile investigations. Both officers have been in juvenile for quite a few years now and are just overwhelmed right now. And you are totally correct that da** women in the courts is just sending them right back out. Also the juvie facility can hold 60 it currently is holding somewhere are 30-40 on a normal basis due to this judge sending them right back out. This is a major problem in the city.

[Micky]

I don't know how many detectives handle the juvenile crime investigations but I know that they work very diligently to apprehend them.  One officer, in particular, handled my dad's home burglary.  They most always know who the criminals are and when they arrest them, the juvenile judge always puts them on probation (for the umteenth time) because she believes in rehabbing them.  The detectives are very concerned about that kind of thinking because the juvies end up being over 18 and committing worse crimes.

I hope more officers will be hired that aren't replacing the retirees as the Vindi reported today.

[Mary]

I was told that the juvenile  division only has two police officers working juvenile investigations. This could be where some of the issues are coming from. How can two people handle all the crime by kids? Note this does not mean answering calls. This means taking care of the reports and investigating them.

[our2cents]

That will be excellent.  I hope they proceed quickly.

[yfdgricker]

I got word today that YPD is hiring 6 new officers. That's a start.

[our2cents]

I feel that Youngstown may have to do something drastic.

Nope everything is just peachy. No need for more cops in Youngstown. Whatever. Gotta go set my home security alarm and head to bed.

I couldn't agree more with your post. 

With the way things are going, I would set that alarm once you come in the house instead.    And I was thinking we all set them once we closed the door to the house.  We started doing that once a neighbor was robbed while home.

[jay]

The police department should borrow a few of the abandoned houses in the hot spots and station undercover officers in them around the clock.  The officers could conduct surveillance 24/7 and spring into action as soon as gunshot are heard.  Response time would be cut to zero.  This is a war and the police have to take the battle to the neighborhoods where all this crime is happening.

[yfdgricker]

I feel that Youngstown may have to do something drastic. At least until they can get the crime situation in the city under control. I know Youngstown is short on money, with a dwindling population and a shrinking tax base, but how much of that exodus is due to the crime in the city. No one wants to move into a city if they don't feel safe. Maybe the mayor needs to hire as many officers as it takes to get a handle on things and not take 35 minutes, 60 minutes, 2 hours to handle a call. Call in federal assistance if needed. Why can't we have some Govt agencies step in and help . I don't blame the beat police either, they are overworked and every Youngstown Police Officer I've dealt with seems tired (no doubt from running from call after call after call after call) and sick of it.

I hate to say it but if something isn't done about the crime in Youngstown and the city made a little safer, NO ONE is going to come into Youngstown, businesses WON'T stay in Youngstown, people WON'T move to Youngstown and people WON'T stay in Youngstown.

If the Subway Restaurant on [insert any address of any Subway restaurant in Youngstown here] gets robbed again, I'm going to hurl. BTW, the Taco Bell on Youngstown-Poland Road was robbed at gunpoint Sunday night.

This keeps up, Mayor Jay will be mayor of Ghettotown. I like Mayor Williams, I voted for Mayor Williams, I love the Convocation Center, I patronize BW'3 downtown just about every weekend, I live in Youngstown, I WANT BETTER POLICE PROTECTION! Get more officers hired, get the crime down and a 10 minute response time for most non life threatening calls and start doing something! 

Ok, as if I'm not venting enough already, I was driving on I-680 heading home one night and there were 7 Youngstown police cruisers, 3 YSU police cruisers and 2 unmarked YPD detective cars escorting 3 buses to YSU Stadium for a football game all running red. That's insane. How many of those were duty cars? I'm sure the 3 YSU cars could handle an bus escort to the stadium. I'm not sure the President of the United States gets that kind of an escort. But it takes a uniformed officer 35 minutes to get to my house when there is a large group of juveniles fighting in the street on my block.

Might take a war. Apparently getting shootings and stabbings and armed robberies almost nightly isn't enough to warrent more police. People are doing 90 on I-680 again. I have to slow down when I have a green light to make sure the idiot coming to the red light stops and doesn't run through it. Cars are blowing red lights even during the day and my personal favorite, the move into the turning lane like your going to turn left, blow through the light and keep on going straight. I've come across 3 cars running abandoned running in the street on different occasions and spotted a stolen auto thanks to hearing the bolo on the scanner in my car. Houses are getting stripped for metals with people still living inside them!  The standard procedure for any fire company working at a car fire is to pop the trunk to see if there is a body inside.

Nope everything is just peachy. No need for more cops in Youngstown. Whatever. Gotta go set my home security alarm and head to bed.

[Mary]

You are very right. It is NOT the beat cops fault. They CANNOT be everywhere. they are too short handed. What has to happen in this city for more cops to be added? A full blown war?

There does not seem to be a neighborhood group in my area or I would go. I have thought of trying to organize on but an unsure of how to begin that.

[Micky]

Seems we're in the same situation around where we live.  We've been told that unless YPD gets several calls about gunshots, they don't come to investigate. 

We don't blame the police officers though.  Since listening to the scanner on this forum site (THANK YOU, THANK YOU) There aren't enough YPD bodies, period.  The police officers are doing a fine job.  They respond to priority calls.  They HAVE to respond to alarms and 911 hangups.  The rest of the calls are done by priority I guess.

With that said, we're fed up with the crime and ignorance of the criminals.  We do wish that YPD would respond when even 1 call comes in with reports of gunfire.  We don't like it when our children have to hit the floor when we hear the gunfire either.  Life should not be scary in your own home.  We've been told to go to block watch meetings or ward coalition meetings.  We don't go out when it's dark and that's when most of the meetings are held.  It's a rare occasion when we're out after dark. 

What exactly is the answer?  City Administration and city council know what the problems are and they should be acting to protect the citizens of this community.  If they can find the monies to finance "other" things, find the monies to hire enough police officers until this city becomes safer.  We need more police out on the roads - 2 cars per ward per shift isn't the answer.  The elected officials and judicial system must be held accountable.

[Mary]

There were gun shots very close to my home this morning. After ducking for cover I called the police. After watching for 10 minutes still no police had been seen.  I put the scanner (so nice having it online thank you!) on and listened for 10 minutes before they dispatched and then they had to pull cops from somewhere else to "cover the east side"  I have about had it. I love this city and don't want to leave.  Mayor isnt doing anything, chief of police isnt doing anything I cant find a citizens group for my area. What the he** are we supposed to do?