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Warren may join task
force
City seeks more resources in
fighting drug-related crime
By: DARCIE LORENO
Tribune Chronicle
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WARREN - If the city's narcotics unit was operating, two heroin trafficking
raids by Trumbull Ashtabula Group last week likely could have been handled
by the Warren Police Department, according to the Trumbull County sheriff.
The city is in discussions to become a member of TAG law enforcement task
force, a move officials said could provide the city more resources for
fighting crime, especially drug-related crime.
"If Warren would have had a drug unit in service, we probably would have
passed it on to them," said Sheriff Thomas Altiere of the raids. "Since they
didn't ... we said come help us. We're just all going to work together and
get things done."
According to Safety-Service Director Doug Franklin, the city is preparing a
memorandum of understanding to become a member of TAG.
The task force currently consists of deputies from Ashtabula and Trumbull
counties and investigates activity related to drug and firearm trafficking
and gangs. Two deputies from each county are on the task force.
The task force headed up two raids this past week, one of which was on a
suspected heroin trafficking operation at a 2026 W. Market St. N.W. home.
Fourteen were arrested in the raid, where police confiscated more than
$70,000 worth of drugs. On Thursday, the task force raided a home on
Mahoning Avenue N.W., where heroin also was being sold.
Warren officers did assist TAG and a number of other agencies in the raid.
The city's narcotics division was suspended in late June in the wake of a
budget shortfall. The four officers in the unit were reassigned to street
patrols.
Warren's interim police Chief Tim Bowers said the city already works hand in
hand with the Sheriff's Office and local police departments and that chiefs
from each meet once per month to collaborate. The decision to suspend the
unit came down to money and manpower.
"During hard economic times we had to shut down narcotics, and the
(Sheriff's Office) is trying hard to pick up the slack, and we appreciate
that very much," he said. "We're still answering 48,000 calls for service a
year with less people. We're doing the best we can with what we have."
Franklin said the idea of joining TAG came up during meetings with the
county on how the two could work together to improve services.
"This task force was one area we knew would be beneficial for both the city
and the county," Franklin said. "This is probably something we should have
been part of a long time ago. We need to become part of this task force so
we can do a better job of increasing our efforts to reduce drug activity."
The city will have more resources, he said, and will provide more resources
for Trumbull and Ashtabula counties. If plans fall into place, he said, the
one issue the city must deal with is manpower with city officers to become
part of the task force.
Altiere said while there would not be a financial cost to the city, it and
TAG would still have to address several details.
"This is a win-win for the county and for the city as well," Franklin said.
"We'll just bring a lot more resources to our problem and add resources to
(two) counties."
Forty Warren employees, including 20 police officers and 11 firefighters,
were laid off Jan. 1 to trim a $3.2 million general fund budget shortfall.
Union concessions and additional cuts in June were aimed at trimming an
additional $1.5 million shortfall caused by lagging income tax revenue.
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