This is a continuing component of our efforts to enhance and build upon our existing community policing strategy. It is a natural progression that began with our COPS Program (a partnership with LMHA), the School Resource Officer Program (a partnership with Lorain City Schools), the Street Crimes and Target Grant Program (a federally funded partnership targeting specific neighborhoods for increased law enforcement), the Crime Prevention and Neighborhood Watch Program, and the Do the Right Thing Program. This effort is a direct response to specific requests from the community. Contact Mike Challender (Lorain Growth, Inc.), Fr. Bill Thaden (Coalition for South Lorain), and Dan Sabolsky (Direct Action).

There will be three Community Resource Officers (CRO’s) and three areas of assignment: CRO Ray Farley will be responsible for South Lorain and Cityview; CRO David Kuznir will be responsible for the West Side; and CRO Les Palmer will work with the Downtown, Charleston, and East Side areas. These are veteran officers who have demonstrated skills in developing relationships and who are committed to the community.

Although CRO’s may respond to calls for service in their assigned area, that will not be their primary function. The main focus will be to become thoroughly familiar with their assigned area and to develop a mutually beneficial partnership with the residents, business owners, and school officials. The idea is to collaboratively identify problems, come up with joint solutions, and hopefully work together towards a shared vision of a safe and peaceful neighborhood.

Community Resource Officers will first work with their neighborhoods to address police-related issues such as drug dealing, gang activity, traffic and parking concerns, and disorderly behavior. They will have access to all of the Lorain Police Department’s resources (Narcotics Unit, Patrol, Detectives, SWAT, Traffic, School Resource Officers, etc). They can also act as a liaison to facilitate services from other city, county, and social service agencies. One of their most important duties will be to develop and coordinate Neighborhood Watch Groups within their assigned areas.

It is our intent to allow our Community Resource Officers the flexibility they need and to encourage them to be as creative as possible in developing solutions to each neighborhood’s unique concerns. We are fully cognizant that we are pulling officers from Road Patrol at a time when manpower is at a premium; however, it is our hope that the success of our CRO’s will actually decrease our calls of service in the long run. We anticipate that calls will initially increase as citizens gain more confidence and faith that their issues will be addressed.

The overall goal of the Community Resource Officer Program is threefold: (1) To reduce crime and violence within each assigned area and to improve the quality of life in each neighborhood, (2) To merge community and traditional policing into a policing model for the future; one that will maintain the finest attributes of traditional policing at the same time advance the philosophy of collaborative partnerships, geographic accountability, and the utilization of shared problem solving strategies, and (3) To empower all of our community stakeholders to come up with their own solutions and to feel confident that they are supported in their efforts by the Lorain Police Department and the City of Lorain.

Lorain’s Community Resource Officers:

Officer Raymond Farley, a sixteen year veteran officer, will be responsible for the South Lorain area. His office will be located at the Lincoln Community Center, 1600 E. 31st Street. His office number is 277- 1200 and he may also be reached through email at Raymond_Farley@cityoflorain.org. Officer Farley has primarily been assigned to the Patrol Operations Bureau. He is a current member of our Underwater Recovery Team. He also has experience as a School Resource Officer.

Officer David Kusznir, a twelve year veteran officer, will be overseeing the west-side areas. His office is located within the St Joseph Community Center, located at 21st & Broadway, phone 204-1019. He may be contacted at David_Kusznir@cityoflorain.org .Officer Kusznir is currently a member of our Crisis Negotiations Team He previously spent over eight years as a member of our C.O.P.S. Unit (Community Oriented Policing Squad) assigned to the Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority.

Officer Les Palmer has been with our Department for ten years. He originally came to our Department from Connecticut. He will be working with our downtown area & merchants, as well as the east side of the City. His office will be at Fifth Third Bank, 559 Broadway, 2nd floor. His office number is 246-0035 and his email address is Les_Palmer@cityoflorain.org. Officer Palmer has primarily been assigned to our Patrol Operations Bureau, is a firearms instructor, and former member of the Underwater Recovery Team.

All officers are eager to be part of this new policing strategy. They are looking forward to meeting individuals one on one and helping citizens within their specified District.