CLEVELAND (WJW) – Video released to the FOX 8 I-Team shows state troopers in a chase, taking yet another wanted felon off the streets of Cleveland.
But, you won’t be seeing that much in the city anymore.
For two months, we’ve seen the Ohio State Highway Patrol taking back the streets of Cleveland, but that crackdown is coming to end.
Since August, troopers have carried out a special operation with Cleveland police. The city police department has been operating while significantly short-staffed and the sweeps came after a big spike in crime in the city, especially violent crime.
But, the highway patrol tells us, at least for now, no more of these operations are scheduled.
Up until now, the crackdown has led to dozens of suspects arrested on felony charges, dozens of guns seized, stolen cars recovered and more.
Earlier, the I-Team did some digging into the background of the suspects. At one point, we found more than a third of the suspects busted were teens — either juveniles or young adults.
We also found one guy arrested twice in this same operation.
Now, what impact will all of these cases have on your streets?
Take note of what we’ve heard from some recent victims of crime. A man who had been carjacked downtown told police, “they pulled two guns on me. Same old —.”
A victim of a downtown robbery told the I-Team, “I moved. I do not feel safe in Cleveland at all.”
In new video obtained by the I-Team, troopers chased a stolen vehicle from the air in a chopper and from the ground in a patrol car.
Records show the driver arrested already had been wanted on drug charges.
The highway patrol crackdown may be coming to an end, but the fight to take back the streets seems endless.