TRUMBULL COUNTY, OH - Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office was awarded over $495,000 on Monday.

On August 5, 2022, Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine awarded the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office $495,151.79 from the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Program through Ohio's Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS).

Prosecutor Watkins, with the assistance of Charles Morrow, Chief-Criminal Division in the office, sought the grant money in an application last year with Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Morrow as Project Director.

"As Trumbull County Prosecuting Attorney, I thank Governor Mike DeWine for this needed and generous award to law enforcement in Trumbull County," Morrow added.

The focus of the grant is to address issues created by the increase in the incidence of violent crimes, which have occurred during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Trumbull County has experienced a marked increase in felony offenses of violence, including homicides and assaults, sex offenses, arsons and weapon offenses.

The increase in these offenses has taxed the prosecution efforts, requiring more time and effort by both attorneys and investigators of the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office to ensure that justice is served.

Today, Prosecutor Watkins is happy to announce that he has hired Attorney Kevin James Trapp of Warren, Ohio to assist with these prosecutions in both common pleas court and juvenile court.

With many career criminals, the best violence reduction program is incarceration.

While local police and prosecutors, with help of the public, have been successful for many years in prosecuting violent offenders in Trumbull County Courtrooms, the COVID-19 pandemic created issues that have now surfaced in the post-COVID-19 era.

Attorney Trapp will begin his work and add efforts with the office on April 10, 2023.