The East Liverpool Police Department (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

EAST LIVERPOOL – The East Liverpool Police Department saw a decline in the number of calls for drug overdoses and domestic situations in 2025.

Police Chief John Lane attributed the decline in drug overdoses and an increase in drug tips and drug search warrants to having an officer on the Columbiana County Drug Task Force (DTF).

Lane said he believes that people being aware of an officer whose focus is on drugs makes them more likely to call in with drug related tips.

Lane noted that when the department doesn’t have someone on the DTF, tips are less because they are passed on to a regular officer who can only do so much. Having an officer whose primary focus is the drugs allows that officer to do more.

When asked how beneficial it is to the city to have an officer on the DTF, Lane said “It’s been a huge difference. What would be most beneficial and has worked in the past is to have two people out there.”

Lane said during the summer months when he can pull two officers out of the schools, he is able to put another officer on the DTF, but during the school year when he has two officers in the schools he doesn’t have enough officers to cover the streets and put another one on the DTF.

Lane noted he would like to be able to hire another officer so the department would be able to put two officers on the DTF.

Lane said he is hopeful the decline in drug overdose calls continues and believes keeping an officer on the DTF is critical to that happening.

When it comes to staffing, Lane said he would like to have the ability to hire a few more officers, but does not see that happening in the near future.

“We need more people, obviously, and people get tired of hearing that, but that’s just the reality of it,” Lane said.

The department is currently staffed with 17 officers, and five dispatchers. Lane said it would be beneficial if the department had 19 officers so they could have two officers on the DTF and still maintain the officers he has on the streets.

Lane said the increase in patrol related calls happened primarily during the summer months when he had more officers on patrol because those are officer-initiated calls to check on subjects that are out of place or notice a disturbance.

“Everyone wants us to be more proactive. But you have to have enough people out there to be proactive,” Lane said. “You can’t put two officers out on the streets and expect them to go out and be proactive, because one arrest and you are down an officer while they transport to county jail leaving one guy covering the streets.”

Lane noted an officer can be off the streets for several hours or longer if they have to transport a person to jail or to the hospital where the officer would have to remain with them until they are released to be transported to jail.

“Proactivity needs people,” Lane said. “Summertime with warmer weather, more people, more of the public are doing things, which means more traffic stops.”

Lane noted that with less officers they have to function instead as a reactive department.

Lane, who is going to continue to request more officers, said the marijuana recreational tax money would be a big help to the department, and he has not found any grants that would be beneficial or allow the department to hire additional officers, but he continues to look.

Staffing changes at the department in 2025 included one officer leaving and one officer being hired, the promotion of Justin Hays from officer to captain, and the retirement of longtime dispatcher Stephanie Kimber.

The department made history in 2025 with the hiring of the city’s first female police officer, Flisha Kelsey.

As of Dec. 3, 2025, the department responded to 5,867 calls and had 92 calls for providing mutual aid to other agencies.

Most common types of calls were for business alarm drops, accidents, domestic related calls, mental health related calls, parking issues, and juvenile complaints.

Other call types include documentation reports, alarms, and investigative reports.

“The officers have been great, with no departmental problems, and they all get along,” Lane said of his department. He said he finds it encouraging that he does not have to push the officers for community involvement, that they take the initiative for planning community events such as Cram-a-Cruiser, Cops and Kids and participate in other community events and partnerships.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com