CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland is planning on hiring 30 additional police officers following city council’s adoption of an ordinance that accepts federal grant money through Operation Relentless Pursuit.
According to Cleveland City Council, the Operation Relentless Pursuit program will be funded by a grant that will provide $7.9 million over the next three years.
The new hires will be part of a program aimed at combating violent crime in the city.
City council states Operation Relentless Pursuit will “conduct surgical efforts in high-crime areas, focusing on ridding city streets of violent gangs and illegal drug operations.
“The Cleveland Police Department can’t fight violent crime by itself,” Councilman and Safety Committee Chairman Matt Zone said.
Last week, Cleveland lost one its own when Detective James Skernivitz was shot and killed while on-duty. Skernivitz was part of the Gang Impact Unit and had recently been sworn in as part of Operation Legend, a federal law enforcement effort taking place in cities across the country, including Cleveland.
Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams previously said that Operation Legend is effectively a renaming of Operation Relentless Pursuit.
RELATED: 3 teens facing multiple charges for death of CPD Detective James Skernivitz
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