Austintown Trustees listened to a presentation about giving an ok for township police to patrol interstate highways that run through the township. 
 
The police department believes it's one tool to help cut down on human trafficking, drug trafficking, and domestic and international terrorism.
 
Austintown sits in the middle of several major cities, with the interstate highways providing popular routes or crossroads to human trafficking, drugs, and dangerous activities.
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"We are 400 miles from Chicago, 400 miles from New York City. We're 60 miles from Cleveland, and 60 miles from Pittsburgh so there's a lot of traffic that goes through here traveling to those different places," Lieutenant Mark Skowron said.
 
That's why the Austintown Police Department has submitted for a grant and pitched a proposal to Austintown Trustees. Police want Trustees to give them a green light to patrol interstate highways that run through the township. 
 
The goal is not to issue tickets to speeders on I-76, but to be a front line in stopping victimization and deaths. 
 
"Human Trafficking is our main focus and as we saw today from the raids that happened, There's a lot of it going on. We've moved from I believe number six to number four in the nation," emphasized Skowron.
 
Most folks at this meeting believe this is a great idea to also take drugs out of circulation, as long as police can continue to patrol the busy township and answer priority calls. 
 
"It was widely known that was a drug area where a lot of drug deals were made. They come off the interstate right here in Austintown and make their drug deals, pass off their drugs. It needs to be done. It will leave down there and infiltrate into the community and I don't want to see that," said Bill Saltsman. 
 
Ohio's Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill last June that states township police have the ability to patrol interstate highways that run through township IF Trustees give their approval.
 
After the Mahoning prosecutor's office reviews the language of the proposed ordinance, a vote is expected next week.