Two Mahoning County police agencies receive Violent Crime Reduction grants

According to a news release, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced over $3 million in grant funding to help local law enforcement agencies implement and maintain violent crime reduction strategies.

Two of the agencies that received grants through the fourteenth round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program included the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office and Austintown Township Police Department.

The Mahoning County Sheriff's Department received $35,000 in grant funding and Austintown Township Police Department received $14,278.91, according to the release.

According to Commander Larry McLaughlin of the Mahoning County Drug Task Force, the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office will use the funding for overtime and controlled purchases.

A controlled purchase, according to Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene, is where a plainclothes officer, as part of an investigation into potential drug sales, will purchase drugs from a suspected source.

This is done for any potential cases into illegal controlled substances sales.

According to McLaughlin, the Sheriff's Office was able to secure the funding as violent crimes in the area revolve around drugs.

According to the Austintown Township Administrator Mark D'Apolito, the funding received through the grant will go toward reinstating a Cellebrite subscription that was canceled.

Additionally, the funding would help with updating any equipment necessary for the subscription to function.

The Cellebrite subscription, according to Austintown Detective Lieutenant Shawn Havener, is used as an investigative tool. It involves using a terminal on seized cellphones that could be related to a criminal investigation. 

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