Collaborative Efforts Between the City and Various Law Enforcement Agencies and Community Partners Contributed to Positive Crime Trends During the Summer Months
Thursday, September 19, 2024 — Cleveland — Mayor Justin M. Bibb and city leaders announced the results of the Administration’s Summer Safety Plan – a comprehensive, All-Of-Government approach that utilized data-driven strategies to proactively address crime in the city the past 4 months. The City developed the Plan based on research, which shows that approximately 4% of geography accounts for nearly half of all crime. Multiple years of data was analyzed to identify five citywide “hotspots” for violent crime that were consistent across the previous three summers. Various City departments – working together with numerous law enforcement and community partners – prioritized the delivery of services and resources in and around these targeted areas with the goal of creating a ripple effect in reducing crime citywide.
“Although our plan has produced positive trends in terms of data and statistics, now is not a time to celebrate as one life lost is one too many,” said Mayor Bibb. “My administration will continue doing everything in our power – including grassroots efforts to engage and hear directly from our residents – to change the narrative and perception around crime in the city.”
THE RESULTS
The Plan was strategically implemented during the summer months (i.e. May 1 to August 31), when crime historically peaks during the year. When compared to last year, this year’s reporting period saw significant drops in the majority of crimes, including:
- Murders – 37% DECREASE
- Grant Theft-Motor Vehicles – 27% DECREASE
- Robberies – 13% DECREASE
- Felonious Assaults – 13% DECREASE
- Thefts – 10% DECREASE
- OVERALL Crime – 13% DECREASE
THE PLAN – City Services
Utilizing data and technology to guide decision-making, the Plan utilized an innovative All-Of-Government commitment to safety, which included:
- Department of Public Works – Completed 779 work orders and service requests across all five safety zones for property violations/vacant properties, trash/recycling issues. Illegal dumping, tree service, street repairs & sweeping, dead animal pickup, graffiti removal, and others.
- Department of Building & Housing – Created 268 property maintenance inspection records with 205 being completed and violation notices being issued for the remaining 23%. Those that were completed included properties that were cleaned up, inoperable vehicles being removed, bushes trimmed & grass cut, porch & fence repairs, debris removal, emergency demolitions, and others.
- Department of Aging – Reached 95,724 households via 34 robocalls to seniors citywide about various topics, including safety; distributed over 1,000 senior safety guides; held a 6-week informational program called Safe Strong Seniors at a senior building in a safety zone on the east side and a 5-week resource popup in a safety zone at a park on the west side; and had 315 individuals participate in two senior walks.
- Department of Public Utilities – Flushed & inspected all 18,089 city hydrants with 275 being replaced; inspected 11,762 catch basins with 2,377 being cleaned; and repaired 353 streetlights.
- Division of Recreation – Served 10,814 meals; had 12,368 accounts created on the new CivicRec platform; had 59,391 visits to outdoor city pools and 6,097 visits to playground sites; and had more than 9,800 visits to Rec Centers for citywide arts programming equating to over a 60% INCREASE in utilization from last year for programs like crafts, ceramics, culinary, dance, painting, music, photography, & others.
- Division of Fire – Completed 212 life safety inspections at various restaurants, convenience stores, apartment buildings, and other properties throughout the city; installed 531 smoke detectors for free across the city, including 53 in the designated safety zones; and held a MomsFirst Family Health Fair in the Central neighborhood that was focused on lowering the infant mortality rate.
- Division of EMS – Trained over 900 individuals in CPR; more than 150 people received “Stop The Bleed” training; and all field supervisors received Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training.
THE PLAN – Law Enforcement
The Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) worked together with local, county, regional, state, and federal law enforcement to implement “Operation Heat Wave” throughout the summer, which led to:
- 4,259 Traffic Tickets
- 923 Parole Visits
- 726 Arrests
- 390 Guns Recovered
- 154 Search Warrants
- 81 Stolen Vehicles Recovered
- $153,462 U.S. Currency Seized
- Over 600,000 Pills and Nearly 6,000 Grams of Fentanyl Seized
- Over 74,000 Grams of MDMA Seized
- Nearly 11,000 Grams of Cocaine Seized
- Over 5,600 Grams of Meth Seized
- Over 3,100 Grams of Heroin Seized
“The Division of Police is committed to the safety of our community. We are encouraged by the results from the Summer Safety Plan and Operation Heat Wave; as crime trends shift we will make the necessary adjustments to keep the residents and visitors of Cleveland safe,” said Deputy Chief of Police Jarod Schlacht. “The all-of-government approach is an innovative initiative by the Mayor's Office and showed immediate results. We will continue partnering with all City departments along with our local and federal law enforcement partners for sustainable decreases in violent crime.”
THE PLAN – Youth Engagement
Community Relations and the Office of Prevention, Intervention, & Opportunity partnered with Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.), Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), Cleveland Public Library (CPL), the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cleveland Foundation, and others to provide access to high-quality programming to keep youth engaged throughout the summer.
“This summer, the partnership between CMSD, the City of Cleveland, and our dedicated community partners has shown what is possible when we unite for the future of our children. Through these transformative learning experiences, we ignited a spark in our scholars that goes far beyond the classroom—empowering them to dream bigger, achieve more, and realize their full potential. Together, we are building a foundation that not only strengthens academic achievement but uplifts the entire Cleveland community,” said Dr. Warren Morgan, CEO of CMSD. “Our commitment is unwavering, and this collaboration proves that when we come together, we can move mountains.”
Programming included:
- 11,385 unique youths participated in summer experiences, which included –
- 2,554 attended CMSD Learning Experiences across 14 sites
- 1,210 employed with Y.O.U. Job Experiences
- Over 152,884 hours worked & more than $2 million earned
- 163 worked at City Rec Centers while others were employed by a variety of private, public, & nonprofit partners
- 2,617 participated in City of Cleveland Programming (sports, arts, camps, etc.)
- 4,076 took part in CPL Literacy Programs at 26 branches & Main Library
“The Y.O.U. partnership with the City of Cleveland is the kind of public/private collaboration that offers real impact to the youth of Cleveland and offers hope to the entire community as we collectively look to take Cleveland to the next level via investing in our future,” stated Craig Dorn, Y.O.U.’s President and CEO. “Y.O.U. is very appreciative of the leadership Mayor Bibb has shown in this area and we look forward to continuing our work together.”
“The City of Cleveland's Summer Soundtrack program demonstrates the power of collaboration and partnership in building a community of readers,” said Felton Thomas Jr., Executive Director and CEO of Cleveland Public Library. “This summer, through our Cleveland READS program, over 4,000 scholars participated in literacy programs across our Library system, earning over 20,000 badges as they reached key reading milestones. Together, we can continue to inspire a love for learning and foster brighter futures for all Cleveland families.”
Additional efforts included:
- 598 Social Support Specialist interactions with residents at Rec Centers that included services & referrals for emotional support, employment, housing, mentoring, alcohol / drug / mental health providers, rental/utility assistance, education, & others. Of those, 244 interactions were located within/near the identified safety zones.
- $1 Million in grants provided to 14 organizations to support violence prevention efforts as part of the Neighborhood Safety Fund.
- 123 players participated in the Hoops After Dark league, which also included various workshops focused on financial literacy, voter registration, firearm safety, mental and behavioral health, along with other topics. They also attended the Job/Resource Fair where more than 30 employers and resource groups were present.
- 67 youth engaged by violence interrupters, street outreach teams, and other representatives in/near hotspot locations (e.g. gas stations, convenient stores, parking lots, etc.) between 8p-2a Wednesdays through Sundays, with several receiving referrals to employment resources, educational programming, legal assistance, wraparound evaluation and mental health services, and others.
“At the heart of our summer learning program was a collective vision to not just prevent learning loss, but to accelerate academic growth and inspire a lifelong love of learning. Thanks to the invaluable partnership with the City of Cleveland and our community allies, our scholars experienced an enriching summer that will echo throughout their academic journeys and beyond,” added Dr. Selena Florence, Chief Academic Officer of CMSD. “We are not just preparing scholars for the next school year—we are cultivating leaders, innovators, and changemakers who will shape the future of our city.”
The Summer Safety Plan is part of Mayor Bibb’s RISE Initiative – the most comprehensive violence reduction and law enforcement enhancement plan in the history of the City of Cleveland. RISE is a portfolio of multiple key investments, partnerships and enforcement strategies, technological advancements, and other Administration-led efforts to combat high levels of crime and to improve recruitment and retention within the Division of Police.
Other RISE efforts led by the Bibb Administration include expanding the City’s SAFE SMART CLE camera sharing program; expanding ShotSpotter technology to all five neighborhood police districts; and expanded partnerships with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service, and other agencies at all levels for additional resources and personnel towards targeted hotspots and coordinated violence reduction tactics. The Administration continues to urge residents, businesses, and community partners to help keep Cleveland safe by signing up for the Safe Smart CLE Program.
Citizens are encouraged to contact law enforcement to report illegal or suspicious activity – if you see something, say something. If you have information that may assist investigators in apprehending wanted individuals or wish to report criminal activity, please call 9-1-1 in an emergency or CDP’s non-emergency line at (216) 621-1234.
Watch yesterday’s press conference here.
