By Dave O’Brien
Record-Courier staff writer
The Ravenna Police Department no longer has an officer assigned to the Portage County Drug Task Force, the multi-jurisdictional agency that investigates the drug trade in Portage County, the department announced this week.
“Management considerations” are the reason behind the change, according to a department press release. The announcement did not go into specifics, but the department and Ravenna Mayor Joseph Bica said budget considerations were not factors in the decision.
Ravenna police are now participating in “task force activities” with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, according to the press release. The ATF investigates illegal activity involving firearms, explosives, arson, alcohol and tobacco products.
Task force commander Pat Burns had no comment on Ravenna’s decision to exit the task force.
Ravenna Police Chief Tim Adkins was on vacation and not available for comment. Ravenna police spokesman Lt. David Rarrick said Friday he couldn’t comment on the decision, but said Ravenna police will continue to provide the task force and sheriff’s office with assistance when requested.
“We have officers we’ll definitely give to the detail. If the sheriff calls for assistance, when the time comes they need people, we’ll provide all the assistance we can. We’ll never say no,” Rarrick said.
Bica said lines of communication will remain open between city police and the task force.
“We will continue to make every effort to continue the dialogue with the Portage County Drug Task Force to see if we can work something out,” Bica said Friday.
Asked for comment last week, Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci said he believes Ravenna’s withdrawal from the task force will be temporary.
The agencies that remain a part of the task force include the Portage County Sheriff’s Office, the Aurora, Kent, Streetsboro and Garrettsville police departments and the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office.