Cleveland Reporter

On Aug. 16, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, alongside Cleveland officials, announced increased state support to aid local authorities in addressing a recent crime surge in the city. Various state agencies, including the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP ), Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio Investigative Unit, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and the Ohio Department of Youth Services, will collaborate with the Cleveland Division of Police and other local and federal entities on a sustained violence reduction initiative.

“Our state teams have been in Cleveland, and we plan to stay in Cleveland as long as local officials need us," said Gov. DeWine in an Aug. 16 press release. "We know that most violent crime is committed by repeat offenders who are not legally allowed to possess a firearm, yet they do it anyway. This violence reduction initiative will target those individuals." 

According to the Akron Beacon Journal, multiple state law enforcement agencies, including the OSHP, the Ohio Investigative Unit, the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, and adult and juvenile correction departments, have joined forces with local authorities, including the Cleveland police, to address the issue of violent crime in the city. The collaborative effort involves deploying additional resources and personnel to criminal hotspots in Cleveland on unannounced dates. This initiative aims to curb violent crime and improve public safety.

The initiative's first day saw active results, with the OSHP making 57 traffic stops and 20 felony arrests, according to ABC News 5 Cleveland. In addition to these arrests, law enforcement teams located stolen vehicles, confiscated illegally possessed firearms, and worked to seize numerous drugs. Individuals were also referred to recovery support services as part of the effort to combat crime in Cleveland.

“All too often innocent victims are hurt, young children who have recently been killed here in Cleveland, and frankly, it breaks your heart,” DeWine said at a press conference Wednesday in Cleveland, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. “Every parent has the right to raise their children and live in a neighborhood that is free of crime and free of violence."