[In the player above, watch previous FOX 8 I-Team coverage of the Cleveland police shortage.]
CLEVELAND (WJW) — The FOX 8 I-Team has learned the Ohio State Highway Patrol will assign troopers to help Cleveland police try to take back the streets, as the city’s crime rate has soared.
“OSHP (the patrol) will be collaborating with CPD (Cleveland Division of Police) on their criminal patrol and interdiction operations that are still in the planning phases,” patrol Sgt. Bridget Matt wrote in an e-mail to the I-Team.
“I can confirm that the Ohio State Highway Patrol has partnered with and continues to partner with the Cleveland Division of Police in an effort to enforce traffic safety and reduce crashes in the city of Cleveland. We began sending troopers to work alongside officers from CPD’s Traffic Unit beginning in May and have plans to continue working with them through August.”
For months, Cleveland Councilman Mike Polensek has been calling for the patrol to come in and help Cleveland police.
The patrol said the police department also has reached out and asked for assistance.
This comes as the size of the city police force is at historic lows. Officers have left the department at a record pace, and the city only has a handful of new recruits in training.
Meanwhile, the homicide rate has spiked, and so has other gun violence, including a recent mass shooting in the Warehouse District.
Additionally, we’ve reported on a growing number of violent crimes downtown.
Plus, neighborhoods have been terrorized by car thieves stealing cars, often in carjackings, then using the cars to commit other crimes.
On Wednesday afternoon, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley has set a news conference on a recent incident involving 12 juveniles beating man and opening fire at gas station in Cleveland. O’Malley’s office said this “highlights ongoing rising summer juvenile violence”, and that he plans to call for more teen criminals to be held accountable.
FOX 8 News will carry the news conference live beginning at 2 p.m. on FOX8.com.
