Steubenville officer recognized for community policing efforts
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STEUBENVILLE -- A city patrol officer was celebrated by council Tuesday for her "dedication and commitment" to the youth of Steubenville.
Council adopted a resolution honoring Officer Keasha Barz, now in her fifth year with the Steubenville Police Department, for her "exemplary efforts toward community policing."
Barz consistently takes time to interact with children while on patrol, "even to the point of taking the time to bring a child home because he was afraid to walk home alone."
That child was playing basketball with friends last month when he spotted Barz patrolling the Pleasant Heights neighborhood. He walked up to her cruiser and asked, "Are you the officer that brought me home?"
As the children joked with her, one asked whether she would pay him $5 if he made a basket from behind the cruiser. She accepted the bet, and "all the kids took turns trying to make the shot" until one eventually succeeded. Barz handed over the $5, and the children then challenged her to take a shot herself.
"She stayed with them for about 15 minutes ... and then left to respond to a call," the resolution states, noting Barz’s "caring, thoughtful actions embody the true spirit of community policing, proving that effective law enforcement is built on relationships, breaking down barriers with the community's youngest members and showing genuine care. Her actions that day, and all the others that go unnoticed, help to foster trust in law enforcement at an early age and helps cultivate safer, more connected neighborhoods."
"When I was first hired, one of my big things was to communicate with the youth of the community and, hopefully, make them not as fearful of (police)," Barz said. "So I'm going to continue to do that and, hopefully, later in their lives they'll continue to trust me."
Mayor Ralph Petrella pointed out he grew up in Pleasant Heights, which is considered an at-risk neighborhood.
"One thing that stands out to me ... is the kid recognized you and remembered you," Petrella said. "I think that's really, really important."
Meanwhile, council approved emergency legislation allowing the sanitary sewer relocation project on John Scott Highway at Mall Drive to move forward.
Council also heard first reading of an ordinance authorizing City Manager Mike Johnson to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the city’s fiscal year 2026 Community Development Block Grant.
In other business:
-- Councilman Royal Mayo raised concerns about the Tuskegee Airmen mural at 421 Washington St. The mural is painted on a building slated for demolition by its new owner, the College of St. Joseph, in about 10 days.
Petrella said he has arranged for a drone to scan and record the mural in its entirety before demolition begins.
-- Mayo also said council should play a larger role in determining the design and location of the proposed all-inclusive park, which would serve individuals of all abilities.
"I think we need to pick what the design is going to be," he said.
-- Council agreed to split the cost of clearing a city-owned property on South Fourth Street with the Jefferson County Land Bank, which hopes the city ultimately will convey the property through the Jefferson County Port Authority so it can be used for its housing construction program. The land bank has already built affordably priced homes on Logan Avenue and North Fifth Street.
-- Johnson said the city has seen an increase in homeless encampments, prompting him and Petrella to participate in a webinar on "the current state of homelessness in Ohio today."
"They didn't really get into how to handle the encampments, which was a little disappointing," Johnson said. "But there was some good information."
-- Council introduced emergency legislation supporting the JB Green Team’s plan to allocate $4 million to purchase two regional recycling sites, one of which would be located in Jefferson County.
-- At Johnson’s request, council met in executive session to discuss a potential real estate purchase.