CLEVELAND — Another law enforcement agency is providing assistance to the Cleveland Division of Police in its ongoing mission to curb violent crime in the city.
On Tuesday, U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott announced that his office will be teaming up with the city for "Operation 216," which will provide additional resources and manpower from members of the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force focusing on targeted hot spots in the city of Cleveland. In addition, Operation 216 also includes an additional cold case investigator assigned to work on unsolved homicide cases ranging from two to three years old.
“Combating violent crime and arresting those responsible for these acts is our top priority,” Elliott said in a statement. “We are pleased to be able to provide support to the Cleveland Division of Police as we work together to secure our streets and remove violent offenders from our communities.”
The city says that while specific details of Operation 216 are confidential, the bulk of the operation will take place throughout August and September. Additional funding for Cleveland’s NICE Unit and Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department warrant unit will also be made available to assist in combating crime.
“We are so grateful for the partnership we have with U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott and his team,” said Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb in the statement. “We are committed to an all-hands-on-deck, collaborative and coordinated approach to cracking down on crime in our city and, as we saw last summer, operations like this really make a difference.”
Also applauding the partnership were members of Cleveland City Council, including Council President Blaine Griffin. "I have a longstanding relationship with (Cleveland Police) Chief (Wayne) Drummond and US Marshal Elliot," Griffin said in a separate statement. "I am confident they will build a comprehensive plan to apprehend the bad actors and that they will effectively get to the root of violent crime in our city. Clevelanders deserve safe neighborhoods. Safety is the top priority that our city can provide.”
The announcement of Operation 216 comes as other area law enforcement outlets have given support to Cleveland during a violent summer of crime. Since May, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) has been working alongside officers from the Cleveland Division of Police's Traffic Unit in an effort to enforce traffic safety and reduce crashes in the city. That partnership is set to continue through the end of this month.
Also, Cuyahoga County Sheriff Harold Pretel told 3News he has put together a "downtown safety patrol" plan to assist Cleveland police and OSHP troopers. Pretel's team will work Wednesday through Saturday, when downtown Cleveland is heaviest with visitors. Eight deputies and a sergeant with canines will patrol Playhouse Square, Public Square, the Flats and additional areas.
