YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - A group of west side residents want their neighborhoods back, and they're planning a community march and rally to take a stand against crime and violence.
In the past six months, Youngstown's west side has experienced a rash of violent crime like never before, including a woman shot and critically injured at an apartment just off of Salt Springs Road.
There was also the brutal double murder of a young man and woman inside a Mahoning Avenue home. The couple's baby was inside the home, but police say the child was unharmed.
Betty Hutton with the West Side Citizens' Coalition tells 21 News, "We want to show these people that are trying to infiltrate our neighborhoods that we're not going to take it. We're not going to stand for it; we're going to be out there. We're going to be responsible for taking our neighborhoods back."
A west side man who did not want to be identified believes the violence is triggered by the state of the economy and he says, "Desperate things happen when people need money."
An employee at a local convenience store feels that the problem is only getting worse. Dawn Tlacotia says, "The kids are hanging out in the street. I watch them every day. I have to tell them to move away from the door. They're outside selling drugs or doing their things out there and I just wish there was more for the kids out there."
Its violence that has the Westside Citizens Coalition taking action in the form of a solidarity march called "I Love Youngstown" on Saturday, February 11th at 5:00 p.m.
Becky Hutton is helping organize the event, "You can certainly come out to the places and meet with us and sit and participate with us. That way if you don't want to walk you don't have to. Or we are asking everyone on the west side to turn on their porch light that night from 5:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. just as a show of solidarity, to show us that you are with us."
Hutton says it's the first step in letting the bad guys know residents and block watches will be out in full force standing guard to protect their community and those who live here.
Again, the "I Love Youngstown" March will be held on Saturday, February 11th at 5:00 p.m. Those who want to participate in the short walks can meet at Strikers or Foxy's on Meridian, Pizza Joe's in Cornersburg or Casa Ramirez or Molly's. A meeting will be held at each location at 5:00 p.m. and the marches will begin at 5:30 p.m.
