Now, I have to admit - I don't know a whole lot about Cleveland, and can probably rattle those few nuggets off in a pretty short paragraph.

It's in Ohio, sits next to Lake Erie (check, check), is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Browns, and whose baseball home team made a singularly craven, virtue-signaling move dumping one of the greatest baseball mascots ever. An iconic figure whose Schlitz-eatin' grin was an integral part of one of the most memorable scenes from one of the greatest baseball movies EH-VAH.

[NSFW word]

Judging by the 2022 census, Cleveland's a pretty small place - a tad over 360K people. 

But as of last July, crime was skyrocketing.

Violent crime in Cleveland has been top of mind for residents as well as city leaders in the aftermath of Sunday morning's mass shooting that injured nine people on West 6th Street. 

While city leaders were able to proudly announce Tuesday's arrest of Jaylon Jennings in Lorain for the mass shooting, there remains the reality of increased crime in Cleveland in 2023 as compared to the previous year. 

In some cases, the numbers are alarming. 

According to data provided to 3News by the Cleveland Division of Police, the number of homicides in the city as of July 8 is up by 30% compared to last year. There have been 96 overall homicides in Cleveland, with 85 of them involving a firearm. At this point in 2022, there were 74 total homicides with 65 of them involving a firearm. 

The number of felonious assaults with a firearm is up 12% this year. There have been 708 incidents as of July 8, compared to 630 last year. 

Fueled by the nationwide problem of Kia and Hyundai break-ins, Cleveland has seen a staggering increase in the number of motor vehicle grand thefts so far in 2023. As of July 8, there have been 3,480 cars stolen in the city, compared to 1,753 from last year, a nearly 99% increase.

By the end of the year, the slaughter rate had cooled down some, but I guess it's picked back up again. Tragically, Cleveland has found itself at No. 7 on a list of "Ten Most Dangerous Cities in America." I mean, they even beat out New Orleans. For a little city, that's bad.

7. Cleveland, Ohio

Crime rates and trends

Cleveland, Ohio, faces persistent challenges related to crime and public safety. The city consistently reports high crime rates, including violent crimes, robberies, and burglaries. Staying up-to-date on crime trends is crucial for understanding the pressing issues Cleveland residents face and for developing effective strategies to combat crime.

Impact of socioeconomic factors

Socioeconomic factors play a significant role in Cleveland's crime rates. High poverty rates, limited educational opportunities, and limited access to healthcare contribute to an environment that fosters criminal activity. Individuals facing economic hardships may feel compelled to turn to illegal activities as a means of survival or escape from their circumstances. Addressing the underlying socio-economic issues, including poverty reduction, educational equity, and healthcare access, is crucial for breaking the cycle of crime in Cleveland.

Drug-related crimes

Drug-related crimes pose a significant challenge for Cleveland's public safety. The city has experienced an increase in drug trafficking and addiction, which contribute to other criminal activities such as robberies and violence. The presence of drugs not only fuels crime but also perpetuates social issues such as poverty and family instability. Comprehensive approaches that combine law enforcement efforts, education, prevention, and addiction treatment are necessary to effectively tackle drug-related crimes and improve Cleveland's overall safety.

It apparently also has a police problem from both ends of the spectrum. After one particularly egregious incident, the Department of Justice investigated the Cleveland Police Department and determined that there had been excessive use of force by officers. 

...The DOJ investigation was opened after a Cleveland police chase and shooting killed two unarmed people on Nov. 29, 2012.

So the department was forced to enter into a Consent Agreement with the DoJ in 2015 to monitor the CPD progress, ensuring that federally required training and procedural steps were implemented and maintained.

The Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) has been under a Consent Decree since 2015. Following a 21-month long investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that the CDP engaged in excessive use of force. The DOJ concluded that the alleged pattern and practice of excessive force was related to structural and operational issues within the Division, and potentially violated the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

The City of Cleveland and DOJ entered into the Consent Decree to repair community trust and protect the constitutional rights of the people of Cleveland by identifying problems within the CDP and by creating and implementing policies and practices to correct these problems. The Consent Decree identifies multiple problem areas for which the CDP is required to make policy changes, implement new training, or restructure Division practices. These areas include: (1) Community Engagement, (2) Community and Problem-Oriented Policing, (3) Bias-Free Policing, (4) Use of Force, (5) Crisis Intervention, (6) Search & Seizure, (7) Accountability, Transparency, & Oversight, and (8) Officer Assistance, Support, and Supervision.

Welp. That oversight also puts a lot of strain on officers who weren't being thugs. After enough time, they may decide to find something else to do or become policemen somewhere else. That's what's happening, and at alarming rates, in Cleveland. 

Police officers have been leaving in droves.

The City of Cleveland continues to struggle to retain police officers.

During a regular meeting of the Cleveland City Council's Public Safety Committee, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said there are currently 1151 officers on the force.

On March 25, police officials said there were 1153 officers on the force.

Last week, the police union's president said 34 officers have left the department so far this year. It's unclear if that number includes the two officers who had left as of Wednesday.

..."It seems like we're going from bad to worse," said Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones.

Jones said the current number of police officers is "unacceptable."

The city budgeted for 1350 officers this year.

For years, Cleveland budgeted for 1640 officers.

The city's big plan is to hire a marketing firm to put lipstick on this pig, but reading up on it, I don't think anyone will buy the package.

Bibb was convinced if he threw money at them that would fix it. It's obvious that did not fix the problem. A few recruits have already quit the latest academy as well.

— Paul F (@pcforsgren) April 4, 2024

The "Issue 24" the tweet refers to is a 2021 Cleveland referendum that went before voters and won in a landslide. What it did was create a civilian police review board.

...The amendment creates the Community Police Commission, which will be the would be the final authority on the extent of discipline for police officers and other police employees. It also has final say on policies for police recruitment, exams for new recruits, officer training, maintaining records and outreach efforts.

Under Issue 24, the Civilian Police Review Board gets expanded duties like issuing complaints of alleged police misconduct and requiring investigation into all complaints. It also now oversees the Office of Professional Standards, which is an independent agency in the Cleveland Department of of Public Safety and consists of only civilian employees.

What it wound up doing was accelerating the flow of police officers out of Cleveland. So many were heading for the exits that the mayor, a fellow named Justin Bibb and ardent supporter of Issue 24, was forced into offering some sort of peace package to the CPD members, hoping to stem the tide of outbounds. He did so last October, calling it a "historic" investment in Cleveland's police.

“We are not going to spare any expense to keep our city safe, and I think today’s announcement truly shows the testament to that commitment on behalf of our administration.”

That was the message from Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb on Friday morning as he announced what city officials are calling an "historic" investment in police. Bibb was joined at the announcement by Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President (CPPA) Jeff Follmer and Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge #8 President Capt. Jim O'Malley.

The announcement included two factors: Pay increases and changing to 12-hour shifts.

Judging by the 34 cops who have already left this year, they're not falling for the 12-hour shift in the tailpipe trick. Besides, the mayor was cutting the vacant cop slots out of the budget at the same time.

...The 500-page document eliminates just over 250 positions within the city. 142 of them, coming from the Cleveland Police Department. However, it’s not quite what it seems. All CPD positions on the chopping block are vacant, meaning no one loses their job.

Director Howard says this isn’t defunding the police. In fact, he calls the budget an investment.

“That investment comes in the form of the 7% salary increases. That investment comes in the form of providing them more tools and technology to help them do their jobs,” said Director Howard.

...Investment or not, the loss of positions doesn’t come as a surprise to many.

It’s another reminder of the daily struggle of law enforcement agencies to hire and retain officers.

“In my 34 years on the job, we’ve never experienced such an issue, if you want to say, of finding individuals that want to become law enforcement officers, law enforcement professionals,” said Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond.

...Union President Jeff Follmer sent 19 News this statement: “It’s disappointing to see the mayor’s position on decreasing our numbers. The union has concerns on our officer safety and officers getting burned out. With a reduced number, I cannot see how the city of Cleveland will get quality service and feel safe.”

But the arguments at the time of Issue 24's appearance on the ballot are sounding rather prophetic. The hardcore community activist dismissing any defense the police might have and scoffing at any notion someone would leave rather than be second-guessed on every move as "scare tactics."

GOOD RIDDANCE

...Chandra says the notion of mass exodus is a just a scare tactic.

“If there is any individual officer that would literally resign or retire because we have greater accountability in Cleveland, you are exactly the officer we don’t want or need – good riddance,” he said. “And let’s bring in the next generation of police officers who are committed to constitutional policing and strong community policing.”

Cleveland Law Director Barbara Langhenry said officers’ concerns have merit.

“I think there is a dimension of human nature where if you feel like you are going to be embarrassed publicly and you are going to shamed even if you are just doing your job – and someone else perceives this as wrong – I think that stress is real,” she said during the forum.” A lot of people might say I don’t’ want to work under that stress. That doesn’t mean those folks wouldn’t be good police officers. That doesn’t mean those folks are out to commit civil rights violations.”

Good luck with that "next generation of police officers," pal. You sure seem to be having a helluva time finding them.

At this rate the only Guardians Cleveland will have left will be the original stone guys on the end of the bridge and whatever's embroidered on those stupid baseball uniforms.