More Patrols in Youngstown

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More Patrols in Youngstown
Story from the WFMJ TV21 Web Site on 2/16.

More police are patrolling the streets of Youngstown.

There is a new partnership between the city of Youngstown and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

State police will begin patrolling within the city limits.

That partnership goes along with the zero tolerance crime policy that went into effect a few weeks ago.

Officials say it's another tool they are using to make the city safer.

State and U.S. routes in Youngstown city limits have traditionally been patrolled by Youngstown police, but effective immediately, the red and blue flashing lights of the Ohio State Highway Patrol will help out in the patrolling these areas under their life step program.

Lt. Chris Heverly with the OSP in Canfield says, "We are working on a joint enforcement effort with YPD on an enforcement effort to crack down on aggressive drivers and fatality crashes in Mahoning County."

And while the patrol tackles the traffic side, the new partnership will help Youngstown police tackle bigger issues on city streets. Youngstown police chief Jimmy Hughes says, "And that partnership is going to give us the opportunity to free up officers to do more in neighborhoods and do more in reducing crime by continuing our zero tolerance policy and follow up on incidents that are occurring throughout the city."

Mayor Jay Williams says the city is forging partnerships on all levels to fight crime and keep criminals guessing.

This latest partnership with the the Highway Patrol will at least last into early March.

Williams says, "It's going to be a trial period to allow us to form the partnership and as we move forward into the rest of the year that at any point we need to turn up the heat in the city, we have partners who will assist us in doing that."

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says while it may vary from day to day, they plan to have at least 10 of their cruisers patrolling the city's state and U.S. routes, all the while, not costing the city a dime.