AUSTINTOWN Austintown Police Chief Valorie Delmont is preparing to put millions of dollars from a newly approved levy to work, focusing on hiring staff, improving training, and upgrading technology for the police department.

Voters in Austintown Township approved a five-year, 2.2-mill police levy on Nov. 4, 2025, providing the department with more than $2 million annually. The passage followed a period of deep budget cuts, which included reducing the number of officers from 43 to 34.

In a public letter, Chief Delmont thanked the community for their support in a recent statement, calling the levy an “investment in a safer and better prepared Austintown.”

Delmont says a key priority for the new funding is filling vacant positions in patrol, dispatch, and supervision. The police department aims to hire new employees to restore staff levels, which have been reduced over the past year.

By filling these open roles, Chief Delmont expects to eliminate overtime costs and ensure that the department can respond to emergencies in the community appropriately. Before the levy passed, the department had been forced to cut overtime and hold off on necessary purchases, like new vehicles.

The levy funds will also be used to improve the skills of current staff. The chief plans to offer increased training for officers and dispatchers. This extra instruction is intended to improve how the staff operates and help protect the township from legal risk.

In addition to personnel and training, the department plans to invest in critical software services and equipment. These technological upgrades are meant to improve the department’s ability to find, discourage, investigate, and seek charges for illegal activity.

Chief Delmont assured residents that every dollar will be spent with transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility, focusing on initiatives that directly benefit the safety and well-being of Austintown residents.

Delmont says she intends to provide regular updates in the coming months on how the levy funds are being used and the impact of the spending.