Attorney General DeWine's Safe Neighborhoods Initiative to Begin in Lima.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that he is expanding his Safe
Neighborhoods Initiative to the city of Lima.
Attorney General DeWine made the
announcement alongside Lima Mayor David Berger, Lima Police Chief Kevin Martin,
and Allen County Prosecutor Juergen Waldick this morning.
"Those of us here today have a shared
commitment to end violence, and by working together, we hope to retake the
streets from those who are carelessly committing repeated crimes," said Attorney
General DeWine. "The goal is to help steer these violent career criminals on a
path towards a more productive life, and, in the process, improve the lives of
everyone living around them."
The Attorney General's Safe
Neighborhoods Initiative works by identifying a community's most violent
offenders, who are typically a small group of people who are responsible for a
bulk of the crime. Authorities then meet with those offenders to outline the
consequences for continued acts of violence, such as lengthy prison terms. In
addition, residents who have lost loved ones to violence explain the turmoil
crime causes families, and doctors explain the lifelong injuries that can be
sustained due to a gunshot wound.
The offenders are then given the
opportunity to take part in job training, alcohol and drug rehabilitation, and
other social services to assist them in leaving the cycle of
violence.
“On behalf of the city of Lima, I
applaud Attorney General Mike DeWine and his colleagues for reaching out to Lima
and Allen County and proposing a collaborative effort with local law enforcement
and community agencies to target violent criminals in our community," said Mayor
Berger. "The Safe Neighborhoods Initiative is a carrot and stick approach that
has proven itself effective in other communities making them safer for
everyone.”
The strategies utilized in the
initiative have been successful in other programs across the country in
producing drastic reductions in gun-related crime. In Cincinnati, a similar
effort led to a 41-percent drop in gang homicides and a 22-percent decrease in
other violent firearm incidents.
“We are proud to be a part of this
collaboration that not only brings all aspects of law enforcement together but
also brings various other resources into the efforts," said Chief Martin. "By
bringing these other resources into the fight against violent crime, those who
are currently caught up in a lifestyle of violence will have an opportunity to
begin making better choices. If they refuse take advantage of the opportunities
being presented to them, however, they will have a full understanding of the
consequences they will face.”
The Allen County Sheriff's Office, Allen
County Common Pleas Court, Allen County Probation Department, Crime Victim Services of Allen and Putnam Counties, Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize, and Hardin Counties, St. Rita's Medical Center, Coleman Behavioral Health, Bloom
Recovery Network, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal
Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also taking part in the
initiative.
The Attorney General's Safe
Neighborhoods Initiative is also currently ongoing in Akron, Warren, and
Steubenville, Ohio.
The initiative is part of an overall
effort by Attorney General DeWine to combat gun crime involving violent career
criminals. In April, Attorney General DeWine and State Senator Jim Hughes
(R-Columbus) announced the Violent Career Criminal Act, which, if signed into
law, would increase the length of prison sentences for specific repeat violent
offenders. The act is co-sponsored by Senator Frank LaRose (R-Copley).
Press release courtesy of the Ohio Attorney General's Office PIO.
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