CLEVELAND — The city of Cleveland welcomed the newest members of its police force on Friday morning when 11 officers graduated from the Cleveland Police Academy.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb administered the Oath of Office to the 11 graduates who will comprise 152nd Cleveland Police Academy Class. Also attending the ceremony, which took place at Cleveland Music Hall at the Public Auditorium, were Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond and Cleveland City Council Public Safety Chair Mike Polensek.
Bibb praised their decision to choose a "noble profession."
"It's not a job. It's not a career. It is a calling," he told them.
The warm welcome and celebration comes during a time of increased violence on the streets of Cleveland and amid a yearslong officer shortage at the department.
"One can talk about our staffing or the lack thereof but the men and women that are out there right now are doing an outstanding job," Chief Drummond said during the ceremony.
Drummond said the department currently has 1,236 officers. That’s down more than 260 from the number of officers the city budgeted for this year and more than 400 officers short of the budget in 2022.
"Eleven. One might say, 'Will that make a difference?' Absolutely. It's going to make a difference," Drummond told the audience.
But the small graduating class is still more evidence of the ongoing recruitment struggle the department like other big city departments is facing. The lieutenant who oversees officer training said these 11 new officers are "taking a sacrifice to come here and serve the citizens of Cleveland at a time that we need them most."
"They're coming at a great time," Lt. Shawn Smith said. "A time when citizens need more police in the city of Cleveland and they stepped up to the challenge and become a Cleveland police officer."
"I want to make people feel heard. I just want to help, you know," said Jame Ortells, one of the 11 new graduates.
"Honestly a lot of us are excited. We love this division. We love the policies that are in place compared to some of the other departments around."
The graduates underwent seven months of academy training. They are now probational patrol officers who will receive an additional six months of on-the-job training.
Still the small graduating class pales in comparison to what they used to be and to what the department needs. The next class in the academy has only nine cadets. They're expected to graduate at the end of the year.
"At the end of the day, I’m thankful as the chairman of public safety that the 11 officers are coming on board. But we got a long way to go because the budget we passed that went into effect April 1 called for 180 new officers," said Councilman Mike Polensek.
He says he believes what the city needs is more police presence and aggressive enforcement to combat what we’re seeing in the streets.
"There has to be an aggressive approach to dealing with the lawlessness in our neighborhoods. We have to take back the streets. I want to make that clear, we have to take back our streets! Because there are sections of this city that are out of control," Polensek said.
He and fellow councilmembers have called on Mayor Bibb and his administration to do more to combat crime and increase police officers. Amid a rash of recent violent crime in the city, including a mass shooting that wounded nine people, Bibb announced new plans to combat violence as part of his Raising Investment in Safety for Everyone (RISE) Initiative.
“The level of violence we are seeing in our city requires seismic investments and an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Bibb in a statement. “We are engaging everyone — police, fire, EMS, building and housing, community relations, residents, nonprofit partners and businesses — to confront this issue. We all have a role in keeping Cleveland safe and everyone must send the message that we will not tolerate violence.”
Bibb's plan aims to "invest in police and public safety, leveraging regional partnerships, promoting aggressive enforcement and increased police visibility, and increasing the use of technology to help tackle crime." More information can be found here.