CLEVELAND — Less violence and less overall crime, but still plenty of work to do: exactly three months into Cleveland’s “Summer of Safety” initiative, numbers show the city has been safer than years past. But law enforcement says this progress should be just the start.
Mayor Justin Bibb and Police Chief Annie Todd launched Summer of Safety back on May 1, so 3News investigative reporter Peter Fleischer broke down numbers from the window between May 1 and Aug. 1 and compared the results to years past.
According to data published by the city of Cleveland, overall crime is down almost 15% compared to that same period last year.
From May 1 to Aug. 1 of this year, there have been 21,301 total crimes reported. While that number is still far higher than the community or law enforcement would like, it represents close to a 15% decrease from that same time period in 2023, when there were 24,813 crimes reported during those months.
Specific crime trends show where progress has been made, but also shows just how far the area still has to go.
There have been 37 homicides reported since the Summer of Safety began. But compared to 2023, when there were 55 reported during that same window, homicides are down more than 30%.
“We do see a decrease in our Part I violent crimes as well in our homicide numbers, so that it is promising,” Todd, Cleveland's police chief, told 3 News. “But as long as we see violent crime, it's always going to be an issue."
Assaults, which include non-fatal shootings, have dipped from 2023. Burglaries are also down, showing their lowest totals for the summer months in years.
While law enforcement is happy with the progress, every crime still creates a victim. Todd pointed out that with the losses of Cleveland officer Jamieson Ritter and Euclid officer Jacob Derbin, police have felt the tragedy of gun violence firsthand this summer.
"We do take this seriously,” Todd said. “With every violent crime that happens throughout the city, it does touch us close to home as well. We want to make sure the community knows we're here to protect them."
Not all numbers are trending in the right direction. Offenses like grand theft auto have spiked in recent years and continue to be an issue.
“Do I call it a win? No,” Todd conceded, while praising her team. “We constantly can't let up on this. We can't take our foot off the gas."
The Summer of Safety initiative continues through September 1. 3News Investigates will continue to track the numbers and have a final recap once the program is over.