It is a great headline for the City of Cleveland: A nearly 40% reduction in homicides over the summer months.
According to data, there have been 78 so far this year compared to 152 in all of 2023.
“Certainly, it is a great milestone for us to celebrate, but we certainly can’t have a mission-accomplished moment,” said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.
“We have been working around the clock this year to put more officers on the street, to deploy more resources, and to have a more focused data-driven approach to keep our streets safe and secure.”
It is not just homicides. The mayor says the city saw a nearly 13% reduction in total violent crime this summer.
“I really think it’s been our intentional focus on collaborations at the local, state, and federal level,” he said. “Earlier this year, we launched the first ever Crime Gun Intelligence Center which is working around the clock to stop the flow of illegal guns coming into the streets of our city. We’ve also had very dedicated details to get trigger pullers off the streets.”