CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Division of Police is getting some much-needed assistance in fighting crime amid a shortage of officers on the force.
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. According to Sgt. Bridget Matt of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the plan is for troopers to continue to work with Cleveland officers through August.
Sgt. Matt added that the Cleveland Division of Police has also requested assistance from the OSHP in "criminal patrol and interdiction operations," but was unable to be more specific.
The partnership between the CDP and OSHP comes not only during a violent summer in Cleveland, but as the police force in the city continues to be understaffed. The department is roughly 230 officers short of the more than 1,400 City Hall has budgeted for it. The current police academy class has just nine recruits.
“I’ve never experienced it before. I’ve never seen it before,” Cleveland City Councilman Michael Polensek said of the low numbers earlier this summer. “No one alive in this city today has ever experienced this situation.” Polensek told 3News that the current staffing of the Cleveland Division of Police is at 1923 levels.
To address the ongoing shortage, the city of Cleveland is holding its first ever Public Safety Summit next month. Mayor Justin Bibb will meet with Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Det. Jeff Follmer and Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 8 President Capt. Jim O'Malley on Aug. 23. in discussions focusing on "Police Officer Retention, Recruitment, and Deployment."
Bibb has also revealed plans for the city to contract with a local marketing consultant, who will "develop a robust, comprehensive strategy and campaign for officer recruitment and retention." The consultant is just one of several plans the Bibb administration is working on to combat violence as part of the Raising Investment in Safety for Everyone (RISE) Initiative.
3News' Matt Rascon, Neil Fischer, and Tyler Carey contributed to this story
Previous Reporting:
- Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb discusses violence in the streets, tension at City Hall and his new initiative to combat crime with 3News' Matt Rascon
- Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announces plan for reducing violent crime, recruiting more police officers
- Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, police union leaders to meet in August for 'Public Safety Summit'
- Amid departmental shortage, current Cleveland police academy class has just 9 recruits