Carl Davis gets to work as new Youngstown police chief

YOUNGSTOWN — New Youngstown Police Department Chief Carl Davis is busy with his agenda, which includes more community policing and engagement as well as body cameras for police officers.

Brown announced the retirement of former YPD Chief Robin Lees on Jan. 8 after differing views of the direction of the police department. Davis began serving as YPD chief as of 4:01 p.m. Jan. 15.

During Thursday's safety committee meeting and after his swearing-in ceremony Friday, Davis addressed some of his plans for the future of the police department.

COMMUNITY POLICING

Davis said he plans to make every officer in the department a community police officer, which aligns with Brown's goals for the new chief.

Officers will learn strategies to acknowledge problems facing the community, such as reducing bias and improving cultural competency, while also maintaining focus on community collaboration.

He said he wants officers to use their downtime to engage with the community and learn about issues in the city.

"I want to see all officers become more community police oriented," Davis said.

Davis said the department will continue with diversity training but will also look for ways to enhance the training with more input from the community and by working with the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence program.

Davis said he wants to hire more people for the department, but that would be based on the recommendations from the finance department. Currently, there are 191 employees within the department.

Since appointed as chief, he made some personnel changes within the department to fill some vacant positions.

Davis moved detective sergeants Sharon Cole and Jose Morales Jr. to the internal affairs division. Cole is the first female officer of the division, and Morales will help with establishing body cameras. He also appointed Malik Mostella from road patrol to a new position as a liaison for the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence program.

The CIRV program will also be paired with a licensed social worker in the department to help implement new programs. Youngstown Chaplaincy Corp also has three social workers that will be utilized more.

"I don't think they've been used properly," Davis said. "We're going to engage them more."

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

Brown said there is already a good structure to start the community initiatives with the police department.

The ability to get out into the community will be dependent on what can be done during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Brown said.

"COVID is really damping how we roll out things," Brown said.

Davis said the department plans to start Zoom town hall forums to focus on community and YPD discussions. The department is also working to find ways to be face-to-face with people in city neighborhoods.

Brown wants Davis to be able to hear from both the community and the department during the forums. He said it's important for Davis to hear from many sides about concerns and ideas for improvement.

Davis also wants the department to have a stronger social media presence by hosting Facebook live events and scheduling Q&A sessions with department personal to show the community how the department works on a day-to-day basis.

Davis said during the safety committee meeting Thursday that a community member reached out to the police department to start midnight basketball in the city again. The program has been used in the past by the city to keep people safe in the community at night.

Council members addressed concerns during the meeting that there could be issues with starting the league, such as Gov. Mike DeWine's curfew and the risk of spreading of COVID-19.

Mostella is helping to organize the league, which is still in the early stages of planning, and he will look at what high schools in the area are doing to keep people safe while playing sports. The league will target young men between age 19 and 22 since many of them are involved in shootings or are victims of homicides in Youngstown.

"If we can get them engaged in playing basketball at night during those hours, that will keep them off the streets," Davis said.

Brown said the city is looking to partner with community groups.

"We're regenerating some thoughts and ideas that hopefully we can spark some thoughts and get these young men and women off the streets," Brown said.

BODY CAMERAS

Brown said the department has a long-term plan to purchase body cameras. It will take some time to look at vendors and establish policies.

"I think as the world's going to continue to evolve, and we want to evolve with it," Brown said.

The internal affairs division will work with the planning and training unit to develop policies and procedures for body cameras. Davis said internal affairs will also handle the complaints involved with body cameras.

Morales said during Thursday's meeting that the biggest cost for the cameras is the digital storage required, not the equipment. Exact estimates for cost have not been determined yet.

"Body cameras are something that the community is calling for, and we're going to definitely answer that call," Davis said.

This story was originally published January 30, 2021 at 6:13 AM with the headline "Carl Davis gets to work as new Youngstown police chief."