Brutal Attack on Elderly Widow

[AllanY2525]

The YPD need to install GPS locators in all of their cruisers and squad cars.
Keep track of where they are and for how long, etc.  That'll put some of the
slackers on notice that they must work for their paychecks.  It would also
make it MUCH easier for officers needing immediate backup - the department
would know EXACTLY where to send the other squad cars.


Just my $0.02 worth (or $0.9, with inflation....)

[louisa]

Westsider, I can understand your point of impersonating an officer, but I think a person has to represent themselves as an officer. This would just be a car that ciminals would have to wonder about. I've had to take double takes sometimes when in traffic because I wasnt sure if a dark sedan type car was a cop or not.
You're right about these vehicles being real reasonably priced as well.
I wonder if listening to police calls on the scanner is illegal. Can anyone shed light on this?
I dont want to see citizens becoming vigilanties, or putting themselves at risk approaching criminals, just a presence would hopefully make criminals think twice about committing these horrible acts.
   

[Micky]

The woman's car was found the same day that she was found by her friends.  The real kick is that when the car was being towed away, the person who lives at the apartments where the car was found said that they saw two black males (she described what they were wearing) around 2 am to 3 am leaving that car and carrying what looked like a mask.  Too bad that lady didn't call the police then.  That elderly woman could have been found much sooner once the plate was run. 

Didn't mean to offend anyone about priority calls.  A policeman told me himself that when they are called to another area when a violent crime has been committed, there isn't a car available to come when a suspected burglary is in progress.  We didn't get a physical response to a robbery for over 4 hours because all available cars were on scene at a double shooting. There just aren't enough policemen to protect us like there used to be.  The criminals are more violent, in-your-face and there are way too many of them. 

[northside lurker]

Thank heaven the woman is okay, It really bothers me and makes me angry and sad.
It really calls for action!  I think a car should be used that is fashioned to look like an unmarked police car. Criminals wont know the difference. Have a person from every part of town and they make up a small network. They can communicate w/ cell phones or two way radios if information needs relayed.  Useful tools combined with dedicated citizens, an organized plan with some sponsorship and I think something like that would be a positive and perhaps deter crime.

I like this idea.  Retired police cars are fairly easy to get, and relatively cheap.  (go to ebay motors and search for "p71" and you will see pages of cars that would look like undercover police cars.  On nice evenings, when the bad element would also be out and about, take this car out for a leisurely drive around the neighborhood.  If I had a driver's license, I would seriously consider doing this myself.  A warning, though!  I imagine this borders on "impersonating an officer" which is against the law.

[louisa]

Thank heaven the woman is okay, It really bothers me and makes me angry and sad.
It really calls for action!

The only conclusion I can come up with is this... We are gonna all have to start looking out for oneanother, proactively!!! We are gonna have to institute some kind of organized, alternative paroling of our streets. Use the resources mention on another post, the police scanners are very informative, and if you have the right codes, you can hear whats going on in your area.  Do a patrol of the areas of calls.  Track the information, check for patterns, and do more patroling. I think a car should be used that is fashioned to look like an unmarked police car. Criminals wont know the difference. Have a person from every part of town and they make up a small network. They can communicate w/ cell phones or two way radios if information needs relayed.
I was listening to a call about a guy carrying a shot gun through an apartment complex. The address that came over the scanner was of a bestfriend of mine with 3 children that often play outside in that complex. I cant describe how afraid I was, but able to call my friend, alert her and make sure her kids were safe and inside.
These scanners are very informational on the crime in this city. Useful tools combined with dedicated citizens, an organized plan with some sponsorship and I think something like that would be a positive and perhaps deter crime.         

[ForumManager]

Whose blaming the police?

Are you saying that a car being towed for not having a license plate is a priority over crime?
The plate incident took at least an hour out of his day. An hour better spent watching for crimes or answering calls for help.. 
The police have been called numerous times on our street for burglaries IN PROGRESS and arrived several hours later or not at all.  One time I called because 2 large groups of teens were in the middle of the street and  seemed to be ready to pull out guns. 
The 911 operator said that since several people called a car was dispatched.
Does that mean if only one person calls it doesn't warrant a visit?
They need to assume that every call is important, that every person is important.

Did they find her car before or after they found her?  Thats all I want to know.
If they found the car first and they did not follow up to look after her well being -  then shame on them.
Every hour she laid in that basement without help would certainly be their fault if that were the case.
Yes I will certainly blame them if they did not try to contact her to see if she was OK.

[Micky]

The point is that there ARE PRIORITIES!

Look at the violent crimes that have been going on in just the past year alone.
An increased tax was voted on a few years ago.  It was supposed to go specifically to HIRE MORE POLICEMEN.  Where did that money go?  Policemen have retired, moved away, etc. and no one was hired to replace them.  An officer went before city council several months ago questioning where that money actually went.  He was told to ask the Safety committee and nothing has been accomplished.

Stop blaming the police.  There are only so many of them and I believe that they are doing the best they can with what they have.  Through gumshoe activities and darned hard work, they've caught many juveniles who were targeting a section of the south side and burglarizing homes. 

The City Administration and city council MUST be held accountable, PERIOD.  Tell us where the money went! 

Thank goodness the lady will be okay physically.  Who knows what it has done to her mentally.

[louisa]

Well, from your story I might have to agree that "stretched too thin" may not be the case and perhaps priorites is the issue, thats rather ridiculous that the officer wouldnt let you move the car to your driveway, given the circumstances. I think his time wouldve been better spent patroling somewhere instead of giving a citizen a hard time for nothing!!! 

[ForumManager]

They are stretched too thin, more police, more protection. It needs to be a priority. We dont even have enough police to answer calls timely, so no time for "beats".

I am going to disagree with this because of another incident with the police.
Another story --- sheeesh!
My son was in a wreck.  It wasn't his fault. The first thing that happened was that the policeman did not cite the lady and said that if he was called into court he would have to say it was her fault.  But he said he didn't want to mar her good driving record of  60 years. More like he didn't want to do the paperwork.  It was difficult to deal with her insurance comapny without her being cited.  They finally agreed it was her fault.  It was an older car and the and it was "totaled"  My husband completely repaired the car except for paint and we argued with the lady's insurance company for several weeks while my son drove the nearly finished car.  Anyway... that's another story.  We finally decided to take the smalll amount of money they offered becasue we didn't want to deal with a salvage title and all that goes with it. The insurance company said they would be there at a certain time.  We parked the car in the street for about a HALF HOUR. (in the same spot I might add that my other car was stolen from) We took the plates off at that time.  BIG MISTAKE. We only put it in the street becasue it would be easier for the towing guy to get it.  The police were there in that half hour citing the car and having it towedl   I saw the police car while watching for the tow truck.  I asked if anyone called it in and he said NO - that  he noticed it while driving by. He also said he knew that we were the owners.  I told him  the insurance company was sending their own tow truck. I said I could move it into the driveway  until they arrrived --   that it was still registered but we  wanted to make it convenient for the tow driver.  He said too bad.  If he was so swamped with rampant crime, how is it that he  had time stop and have my car towed?  He had time to sit there and wait for a tow truck.  He had time to do the paperwork. If he was so swamped he might have said...ok ...put the car in the drive.  I'll let this slide.  Don't do it again and would have been on his way off to fight crime in the city.  We called the insurance company  and told them they'd need to get the car out of impound... actually a fitting end to the whole total loss fiasco.

I have seen and heard way too much of this lack of police priorities from other folks as well.
Sorry.
Not buying the "stretched too thin" idea.
-------------------------------------------
If the stolen vehicle department's ONLY duty is to address stolen vehicles  why did they not respond to numerous messages about a stolen car for 14 days?  Were they on vacation? Eight hour days allow for, at the very least, listening to their voicemail.  If they can't find time to listen and respond then voicemail be removed from the system.

Nope - just not buying it. 

[jay]

This brutal attack has been the subject of conversation on the radio this afternoon. Tune in and add your thoughts.
WKBN 570-AM - The show started at 3:00 p.m.

[louisa]

Horrific......WE NEED MORE POLICE PRESENCE........ Day and night. It needs to be addressed its a serious issue not to have police responding in a timely manner. They are stretched too thin, more police, more protection. It needs to be a priority. We dont even have enough police to answer calls timely, so no time for "beats".
Making an increased presence on our city street will only help. Its just a small action in what needs to be a real plan of our city to make our streets, homes and businesses safer. These types of home invasion crimes are becoming an epidemic, there have been a rash of similar crimes of thugs walking up and taking what they want from innocent victims. Its frightening.
We need to pay attention to where these crimes are taking place and do a concentrated effort. 

[ForumManager]

I want to know when the car was found.

If  her car was found before the neighbors called about  her absence,  the police department needs to revamp how they handle stolen cars. 

I am pretty ticked off about this. I sincerely hope the car  was found AFTER she was.

There was a post 2 years ago  on this board (that I can't find - maybe deleted by a moderator)
It concerned a stolen car that was found and the owner who was a woman was never informed.
I will say that it was me that posted, but as a guest.
I called 911. No one came. It was stolen in front of my home so I wasn't in a place that I needed to leave, like a shopping center.
Then I called the stolen vehicle department and left messages on their voice mail REPEATEDLY. 
I could not get through to a real person EVER.  If I called another department with my concerns they switched me to that department -- which was only voice mail.
There were things in the trunk that did not belong to me and an insurance claim for those things needed to be made by their owner. We needed a police report.  I was VERY SPECIFIC in my messages leaving name, address, phone, reason for calling, car details including  VIN NUMBER etc. No one ever answered ANY of my messages for 14 days.
Finally, they called back, were clueless and said a report was never filed. 
I called 911 AGAIN and said... send someone now and they'd better show up this time.
The officer came and implied I was lying about all the calls I made. He took a report, went to his car, called it in and came back to the door and said my car had been recovered 2 days after it was stolen and was in impound. When I went to sign it out of the police department, they had all of my information on the paperwork -- they knew exactly who the car was registered to when they recovered it and NEVER INVESTIGATED possible FOUL PLAY. The car was TRASHED and found in a rough area.   I could have been lying in a ditch somewhere while the impound lot was racking up impound fees.
The impound lot said they call people after the car is there THIRTY DAYS.   
THIRTY DAYS? 
I repeat  THIRTY DAYS!!!!

I can see  breakdowns in communication, this was ridiculous.
I went through all of the correct motions, but was still stuck with impound fees for 12 days.
NO ONE  bothered to call and inform me or to find out if I was OK...
That is what really bothered me... no concern for the owner's well being.  Certainly,  the majority of times there is no foul play but what about the odd chance that there is foul play as in this poor woman's situation.  They can find the time to make a call or a visit to be sure a person is not injured on their basement floor.

So again I say  -  I HOPE SHE WAS FOUND BEFORE HER CAR WAS FOUND.
Otherwise the police department needs to be taken to task over this.

[northside lurker]

Some of the "naysayers" joke that Youngstown needs to have marshall law imposed.  It's the only thing they say that I just about agree with.

[Micky]

The news reported on a brutal attack on an elderly widow on Williamson Ave just off South Ave.
Luckily she was found alive by her friends who hadn't heard from her in 2 days.  She was lying on her basement floor.  Apparently, she was taking out her trash and 2 degenerate thugs attacked her.  They stole her car.  It was found nearby behind some apartments on Bellview Ave.

The woman is recovering in a hospital.

And this is what living in Youngstown has turned in to?  I am appalled that this could happen to our valued citizens!  What happened to respect, decency, compassion?  The creeps that did this not only want everything handed to them, they will take what anyone else has because they believe they deserve that too!  If there isn't enough room to keep criminals in jail, we need to make more noise until more jails are built.  Our safety is a priority.