Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District Attorney outlines cold-case task force and quarterly crime data plan
Summary
District Attorney Cody Brown told Warren City Council his office will launch a cold-cases task force, is working to return a drug task force to DA oversight when staffing allows, and will publish quarterly county crime statistics on a new DA website; staffing shortages and recruitment remain active challenges.
District Attorney Cody Brown updated the Warren City Council on several changes at his office, including a new cold-cases task force and a plan to publish quarterly crime statistics online.
Brown said the county drug task force remains operational but is currently hosted by the state attorney general’s office; when staffing stabilizes he hopes to return the task force to the district attorney’s office. He described plans for a newly formed cold-cases task force and said, “Our first meeting for that will be this Friday,” noting the team will review long‑unsolved cases and coordinate with municipal departments and the public for tips and referrals.
Brown also announced a new DA‑office website that will publish quarterly crime data so residents can see local information on DUI, drug‑related arrests, thefts and other metrics. He said staffing is tight — the office is functioning with two attorneys and actively seeking additional hires and potential law‑school interns.
Jeff Walters, introduced by Brown as the new chief county detective, summarized his investigative background and the detective office’s priorities, including work on organized‑crime and gun‑trafficking matters and participation in the county’s revived Crime Stoppers program. Walters described restoring the Crime Stoppers phone line and coordinator role, saying the service now routes tips to law enforcement through a coordinator rather than into the public domain.
Council members thanked Brown and Walters for the updates and asked whether the cold‑case task force would accept public referrals; Brown said staff will meet with municipal agencies to inventory unsolved cases and will then solicit tips from the public.
The DA’s announcements are procedural steps rather than formal council actions; staff and council did not vote on DA staffing or task‑force authority during the meeting. The council did not set funding or policy changes tied to the DA remarks at this session.
Next steps: the cold‑case task force scheduled its first meeting later in the week; the DA’s office intends to publish the first quarterly crime report on its new site when available.
