CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb pledged Tuesday to boost hiring in the police department as the wave of officers leaving the city continues.
Bibb addressed the issue as he joined city officials in discussing the police midyear report that showed most violent crimes in the city have dropped. Arrests, gun seizures and drug crimes have all plummeted.
To combat the police shortage, the city plans to hire a marketing firm to recruit more officers. The city hopes to develop a five-year plan that will not only attract new officers but help keep the officers it has. Right now, the city is short at least 280 officers, well below the 1,600 figure the city seeks to have in the department.
“Cities across the country are struggling to attract and retain officers and our administration, with the support of city council will continue to work as hard as we possibly can,” Bibb said.
Last year, the department lost more than 100 officers because of resignations, terminations and officers leaving for better pay, officials said. This year, several more officers are eligible for retirement, according to Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond.
“Staffing may get worse before it gets better,” Drummond said during the briefing.
Bibb, Drummond and other city leaders discussed the report’s drop in crime. The briefing, however, came after a violent weekend in the city. Officials discussed 13-year-old Curtis Jackson, who was shot Monday on the city’s West Side. He is in critical condition. That shooting came within days of a mass shooting that left Rohan Smith, 21, of Garfield Heights, dead, and four others wounded, including a 15-year-old girl.
Blaine Griffin, the president of Cleveland City Council who also represents Ward 6, said leaders are working on trying to deal with the root causes of violence within the city. Griffin said even though the city is witnessing better results, he knows there is more to be done.
“A bad day, one bad month, or one bad situation like Curtis Jackson can really turn us back in the wrong direction,” Griffin said.
The city has heavily relied on technology to help solve and reduce crime. For instance, the department has used ShotSpotter, which provides officers with detailed information about gunfire and allows resources to be placed where crimes tend to happen the most.
“Ninety percent of gun-related homicides in Cleveland occur between young men of color, ages 18-29,” Bibb said.
The city has pushed more crime reduction initiatives this year. It has developed more youth programs and partnered with local and state agencies to stop illegal street driving. The city also stressed that greater engagement between officers and residents, in some cases known as “park-and-walks,” have contributed to a decrease in crime.
City officials have long said more needs to be done.
Drummond said he wishes to increase staffing in homicide, sex crimes, and other specialty units within the department. To function properly, the city needs 38 homicides detectives, according to the Department of Justice.
There are 17 homicide detectives serving in the unit. Homicides were at 83 through July. The office of the Cuyahoga Medical Examiner, however, continues to investigate pending cases, and the numbers are likely to increase because of that. The average number of annual homicides over the last five years, excluding this year’s tally, is 144.
Last week, the city ratified a police contract that will boost officers’ wages 11% by 2025. The starting wage for officers in the academy was boosted from $15 to $20. Police officials said they have removed additional barriers to drive more officers into the department, including lessening rules for tattoos and beards.
Cleveland to bring in marketing firm to address police shortage; city officials deliver midyear report & Latest News Update
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