New YPD Chief Carl Davis seeks to foster community trust

YOUNGSTOWN — Newly appointed Youngstown Police Department Chief Carl Davis said his main goal is to restore community confidence and trust in the department.

Davis said he wants the YPD staff to work together to come up with strategies to reach this goal, especially engaging some of the younger members of the department.

"We are going to go in a different direction, and we're going to try some new things," Davis said during a Friday news conference.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown appointed Davis as Youngstown Police Department chief, effective at 4:01 p.m. on Friday.

Brown announced the retirement of current YPD Chief Robin Lees last week after the pair differed on views on the department's direction. Brown said at the time he sought a new strategy for community involvement.

Brown's goals include community-based policing that will require interaction with social services, mental health services and extensive training that focuses on the needs of the citizens of Youngstown.

Davis was chosen because of his work in the department for 35 years and his lifelong residency in Youngstown, Brown said. Davis previously worked in the Internal Affairs Division in the department.

Davis started as a patrol officer in 1986 and has worked in the YMHA Unit, the Power Shift Unit and sergeant of the patrol division, detective bureau and the internal affairs division. He also serves as Head of the Police Chaplaincy Corps.

Brown said his deciding factor to chose Davis was because of his vision for the department and the community. Davis told Brown how he wanted to get out into the community and reengage the community where he grew up.

"His focus will be on establishing trust in the community, creating preventative opportunities and building relationships that will affect the Youngstown area," Brown said.

Davis wants to expand on some of the things Lees already had in place, such as community policing. He said he plans to make every officer in the department a community police officer.

Brown and Davis also discussed plans for social services, mental health issues and body cameras. Davis also plans to get involved with the churches in Youngstown since many families who have been affected by crime attend those churches.

"It was right on point with the vision that we want to take," Brown said.

Brown said part of his new philosophy will be to have officers out in the community not just when crime happens in a neighborhood. He wants officers talking to people to get to know the quality of life issues.

"We want to have ears and eyes that are there every day ... to really get a sense of the neighborhood, and people to get a chance to know them," Brown said.

Davis said Youngstown has issues with violence and shootings. In 2020, the department reported 28 homicides, which was an increase from the year prior.

Davis said he wants to get the community to get involved in the resources of the department and will explore ways to get people involved safely during the ongoing pandemic.

He will work toward mending divides, treating individuals with dignity and respect, and treating all fairly and justly, Davis said in a news release from the city.

"Youngstown is a tough community," Davis said. "It is diverse, it can be violent, and it has always been a challenge for police."

REACTIONS TO NEW CHIEF

Councilman Julius Oliver, 1st ward, said he is extremely happy that the mayor made a decision for a new chief instead of choosing an interim.

"We have someone [who] can hit the ground running," Oliver said.

Oliver said he believes that Davis will be able to connect to the community well on all quality of life issues. He said Davis making all officers in the department community police officers is exactly what the city needs.

"I think we have the right guy for the right time," Oliver said.

The Rev. Lewis Macklin said he has worked closely with Davis on the Youngstown Chaplaincy Corp, which is a program that serves as a resource for spiritual guidance for the department and community.

With his work in the program, Davis already has inroads with the faith community, Macklin said.

He said he hopes the department will utilize the experiences of social service engagement and action and the resources of the program to address the social and emotional needs of the community.

Macklin said Davis is a good choice as chief because he was always supportive and engaging of the community and will only continue in his new position.

"He's always been a man of integrity and a man of faith," Macklin said.

END OF AN ERA

Lees told Mahoning Matters he would spend his last day working with Davis for a quick transition.

Since it wasn't a planned retirement and due to the ongoing pandemic, Lees does not have celebration plans. People have contacted him since his retirement was announced to wish him well.

On his last day, he planned to have some quiet goodbyes among those he has worked with in recent years.

Lees plans to stay in Youngstown and to take some time off before figuring out what he would like to do next.

With his extra free time, he said he plans to spend some more time exercising.

"I don't have anything for the immediate future right now," Lees said.

Lees started as an auxiliary officer for YPD in 1976. He was appointed as YPD chief by former Mayor John McNally in 2014 after retiring as a lieutenant in 2011. He was reappointed by Brown in March 2018.

This story was originally published January 16, 2021 at 5:33 AM with the headline "New YPD Chief Carl Davis seeks to foster community trust."