CLEVELAND — The chair of Cleveland's Public Safety Committee pleaded for the state’s help to combat violent crime last week. 3News got a look at that request after another weekend plagued by violence in the city of Cleveland, with at least three teens among the victims.
In the middle of the day Sunday, police responded to the apartments at Union and East 98th Street, where they say a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed. The person accused of pulled the trigger was another child.
Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin got word of the incident from residents in Ward 6 soon after.
"It's always tragic whenever we lose the life of a young person by guns," Griffin said. "When you look at the amount of gun violence that's happening with young people, a red flag should be up in the air. We've got something going on, really, about mental health in our community."
Overnight, there were two other shootings — one on East 142nd that sent a 16-year-old boy to the hospital, and another on Quentin Road where police say a 13-year-old girl went to the hospital with a gunshot wound in her neck.
"The perpetrators are getting younger and more impulsive," Griffin stated.
We also saw teen violence play out in the shocking scene in Cleveland last week, where a group of juveniles — some armed — beat up an adult at a gas station.
"That, to me, symbolized what's going on in this city more than anything," Ward 8 City Councilman Mike Polensek said. "We've got to start holding the parents accountable or the guardians accountable. That has to happen, and then that juvenile justice system is a joke."
Last week, Polensek — Council's Public Safety Committee chair — sent an email to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, telling him, "I am increasingly of the belief that the City administration does not have a plan to deal with the growing violence." The email went on to say, "We need help if we are going to take back the streets and restore peace and order in Cleveland."
In recent weeks, Mayor Justin Bibb has announced plans to invest more in the police department and public safety. He's called for strengthened partnerships with state and federal agencies and more aggressive enforcement, and is also involved in ongoing conversations with police union representatives about how they can improve recruitment and retention.
The governor's office responded, letting Polensek know, "We have offered certain things to the mayor so we can be helpful."
Andy Wilson with the Department of Public Safety said the Ohio State Highway Patrol "will begin to surge resources into Cleveland." He also said the state had "allocated a significant amount of funding to Cleveland for violent crime reduction."
OSHP Sergeant Bridget Matt also told WKYC troopers would be assisting the Cleveland Division of Police in "crime control interdiction," focusing on violent crime hotspot areas. She added they were still in talks to sort out the details but that they would provide support in those areas on predetermined dates each month during August, September, and October.
Griffin says he was aware city leaders had reached out to the state and that the city did indeed need help.
"I've talked to people from every segment of our government from the state to the federal cause right now we need all hands on deck," he noted. "I won't give up our city, the rest of Council won't give up our city. We're going to continue to fight to the very end for our city."
