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East Cleveland announces partnership with Ohio State Highway Patrol amid shortage of officers

The city had been down to just 20 officers total after 11 current or former members of the department were arrested less than two weeks ago.

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — At a press conference on Monday, East Cleveland Mayor Brandon L. King announced a partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) to help improve traffic safety in the city.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley announced that 11 former and current East Cleveland police officers have been indicted for allegedly violating civil rights and public corruption. The indictments, as well as previous indictments in the department, left East Cleveland Police with just 20 active police officers, although East Cleveland Police Chief Brian Gerhard said on Monday that the department has since hired more officers.

Shortly after the announcement of the indictments, East Cleveland City Council held an emergency press conference to request help from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office with the staffing issue that it was facing as the result of the several criminal indictments in the department. According to King, OSHP will only be responsible for traffic stops during its increased presence and the partnership will be reevaluated after a 45-day period (roughly May 1).

"[This will] allow our police officers to do what they do best," King said, "and that is responding to 911 calls.

The city also announced the launch of ShotSpotter technology, which uses sensors to pinpoint the location of gunfire to speed up police response. However, a recent study by Chicago police found problems with accuracy, and it's also been criticized for a disproportionate impact on people of color, something Gerhard dismisses.

"I could be driving in the city painted green," the chief remarked, "and it's not going to tell me a green person fired that shot."

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