In an effort to reduce gun violence in the community, the Youngstown Police Department along with Mayor Tito Brown announced a renewed initiative to help get firearms off the streets.

It's called "Operation Steel Penguins," a campaign that city officials said will add another layer to law enforcement efforts. 

The plan for the operation is to get firearms off the streets to prevent violence in the city. 

If anyone is illegally caught with one, the penalty is jail time. 

"As we start seeing the crimes ramp up, you know, we have to launch our efforts to say, 'No, we need to keep this down now, you know, it's not the time to be acting, it's the time to be, you know, calm'," said Captain Jason Simon of the Youngstown Police Department. 

City leaders said this will help continue their process of making the community feel safer in their neighborhoods. 

Finding people who carry illegally can sometimes prove to be a bit of a challenge for police. People from the community are stepping up to help.

Finding people who carry illegally can sometimes prove to be a bit of a challenge for police. People from the community are stepping up to help.


"We're building trust with those that we don't have relationships and those we have relationships, we're building a greater trust," said Mayor of Youngstown, Tito Brown. "As a result of that, we're getting more phone calls in Chief Davis office, in my office. we're even having individuals stop by and share pertinent information on many of the cases," he said.


Law enforcement says this is a focused, deterrent effort.


"As those individuals come about who keep believing that they're above the law and keep believing they can carry guns and keep believing they can shoot, they deserve a little bit extra of our attention and that's what we're here to give them, some more attention," said Simon.


Police are urging the community to continue sharing information with them.