‘We will protect you’ | Youngstown to unleash Operation Steel Penguins

YOUNGSTOWN — Operation Steel Penguins aims to add another layer to Youngstown Police Department efforts to reduce violence and remove guns from the streets.

YPD Chief Carl Davis said Tuesday the initiative will focus on those in the community who are not permitted to carry guns but continue to possess them. The operation will focus on areas in the city where gunfire and arrest for firearms are most prevalent, he said.

People found violating the law will be referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecution under federal law, Davis said. People can face several years in prison or more, especially if they are a previously convicted offender.

"Jointly and with community support, we will protect you from these criminals and help ensure that you feel safe when you are in your home with your family," Davis said.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said since Davis became the YPD chief in January, it has been his goal to combat crime and build trust with the community.

From discussions with residents throughout Youngstown, the main question they want answered: What is being done to reduce crime in the city?

Brown said the police department will continue to build trust with the community by going out in neighborhoods to talk to people not just when a crime happens.

"We must continue to strive to reduce the crime, specifically gun violence, so that no matter where you live, no matter where you are, you feel safe," Brown said.

The operation is a continuation of what the police department has done in the past under the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The operation is also in conjunction with department partners including Mahoning County Sheriff's Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Cleveland.

Operation Steel Penguin was initially launched in 2017. Due to the pandemic, crime reduction efforts continued, but some operations were on hold in 2020.

Previously, the operation was used to reduce crime when the city had high rates of crime. Davis said overall crime is down in the city, and YPD would like that to continue.

"That's why we'll just keep adding layers and layers until we're satisfied," Davis said.

YPD reported a reduction of crime when comparing January-March 2020 to the same time frame in 2021, in categories including murder, felonious assault, aggravated assault, robbery, burglar and breaking and entering. The overall reduction in crime was about 32 percent, officials said.

In the first three months of 2020, YPD reported nine murders, 53 felonious assaults and four aggravated assaults. During the same time period in 2021, the department reported six murders, 39 felonious assaults and no aggravated assaults.

Capt. Jason Simon said the 2021 operation will now focus on "the worst of the worst individuals," which includes people who have been previously convicted and believe they can continue to get away with having illegal firearms.

Simon said while the department does this operation, the department still needs residents telling them where there are problems.

"We can't be everywhere at once," Simon said. "It's that intelligence and that information that we get from them that really drives us the farthest."

Residents can contact the police department by calling the non-emergency number at 330-747-7911.

This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 5:11 AM with the headline "‘We will protect you’ | Youngstown to unleash Operation Steel Penguins."