Efforts to make Cleveland's streets safer will continue in full force, state and local officials said Monday.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine joined Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and officials from state, local and federal law enforcement agencies to provide an update on two years of work targeting violent crime in the city.
Cleveland's RISE, or Raising Investment in Safety for Everyone initiative, began in July 2023 following a surge in homicides and car thefts. The program teamed up different law enforcement personnel.
“Do we still have violent crime? Yes, we do," DeWine said. “But this action is bringing about some very, very good results and getting some bad people off the streets."
More than 1,000 guns have been removed from the streets, and more than 1,400 felons have been arrested since RISE began in 2023, DeWine said.
"This partnership is a key example of what collaboration is all about," Bibb said. "I've often said public safety is a group project. The men and women of our police department can't do it alone. Federal law enforcement has played a critical role, state law enforcement has played a great role, as well as the county and the prosecutor."
DeWine cited new state data showing most violent crime offenders were repeat offenders.
“The analysis found that 69% of individuals arrested for a violent crime between 1974 and 2023 had been arrested more than once,” DeWine said.
The governor also mentioned a common factor seen in many offenders lately, adding that it’s not just a Cleveland problem, but a national and statewide trend.
"The violent offenders are getting younger and younger,” DeWine said. “It's a tragic thing; it's a very scary thing. The victims are generally also juveniles."
When asked by reporters, Bibb agreed with DeWine that local, federal and state partnerships should be handling crime in cities like Cleveland, as opposed to the National Guard being sent to places like Chicago, Memphis and Washington D.C.
"I want more investments in the FBI. I more investments in the U.S. Marshals. I want more investment in the ATF and the DEA to get violent offenders off our streets, to get illegal guns off our streets,” Bibb said. “The National Guard, in my opinion, is not the solution."
The partnership will continue for at least another 14 months, stated DeWine, who will leave office at the end of 2026.
"We have no plans to scale back these focused enforcement operations,” DeWine said. “So to those out there committing violence in Cleveland, there's a good chance that this team, one of these teams, will see you soon."
The partnership includes the Cleveland Division of Police, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Investigative Unit, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Department of Justice.
