YOUNGSTOWN -  Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown and police officials have announced an initiative focusing on gun violence at city bars.

At a late Wednesday morning news conference, Mayor Brown unveiled plans in response to shootings at five city bars over the past four months.

Police Chief Carl Davis said the effort will focus on managing large crowds as they leave bars at the end of the night.  Police are meeting with bar owners to find ways of encouraging a peaceful dispersal of customers.

Chief Detective Rod Foley talked about the difficulty police have in corralling witnesses following a bar shooting, adding that security set up by some bars has been failing.

Foley says his department hopes to help security at bars create a safer environment by visiting nightspots to find if measures are adequate and if not, put a stop to the situation on that night.

The city is working with the governor’s office to help train officers to spot signs of possible trouble before it happens so patrons can get to and from the bar safely..