Drug possession is the leading reason for felony arrests in Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana counties, matching a broader trend seen across Ohio, according to information about criminal history data recorded since 2017.
Information collected from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation is now available on an interactive Ohio Crime Statistics Dashboard. An analysis of the data shows that drug possession far outpaces all other felony categories. In Trumbull County, authorities reported 6,477 arrests for possession of controlled substances, while Mahoning County logged 6,334 arrests. Columbiana County recorded 1,844 arrests for the same offense. Statewide, law enforcement made 265,871 felony drug possession arrests during the same multiyear period.
While drug possession ranks first in all three areas, the remaining top felony categories show distinct differences among the counties. In Mahoning County, receiving stolen property is the second most common felony, with 1,285 arrests, followed closely by theft with 1,251 arrests. Weapon offenses are also prominent in Mahoning County, where authorities recorded 1,047 arrests for having weapons while under disability and 1,028 arrests for improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle…