CLEVELAND — A man pistol-whipped and robbed in broad daylight helped shine an unsettling light on the issue of crime Wednesday, as the Cleveland Division of Police continues to deal with shortages and other groups work to make downtown a welcoming place.
Cleveland police say the 27-year-old man was in the parking lot next to Thirsty Parrot on Huron Road when two men got out of a car, assaulted him, and then stole his 2019 Dodge Ram.
"It’s one too many," Michael Deemer, president and CEO of Downtown Cleveland Alliance, told 3News. The group says it is the only organization focused "solely on strengthening and building" the downtown area, and violent incidents like the armed robbery can get in the way.
"Everything that we want to see happen really begins with having a clean, safe, welcoming environment," Deemer said.
It was just last week when two Browns players had their cars stolen in two separate incidents, including one involving Greg Newsome II and an armed robbery. In an interview with police afterward, Newsome says they stole jewelry and his Dodge Ram.
"Violence and crime is up a lot," Jeff Follmer, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, stated. "Our morale is down, our personnel are down. ... This is probably the worst time I've seen in my 31 years, just because there's just not enough police to get out there."
Follmer says the department's officer shortage isn’t helping the situation, and they're losing more officers every day from retirements or some just leaving.
"We've got to figure this out right now. We can't afford to keep losing people," Follmer declared, adding that City Hall "has to get busy right now."
The latest numbers from Cleveland police show compared to the first week of June last year, vehicle thefts are up 85.22%, robberies with a firearm are up 11.36%, and assaults with a firearm are up more than 10%.
Deemers tells his his organization has been working with authorities and have seen some crime statistics drop. They also have safety ambassadors out every day to help create the kind of environment people want to be a part of.
"I think safety comes first," Deemer said. "Over time, we want to make sure that crime is decreasing and the sense of safety in increasing."