CLEVELAND — Frustrations about violence in the city are boiling over at Cleveland city council, and council members continue to look to the mayor and the police department to do something to stop the crime while residents just want their neighborhoods safe again.
Many Clevelanders are proud of the city they grew up in, but when it comes to crime, they are saddened and want to see something done.
“More policing and more security, more cameras everywhere. That's what they need to try and solve this problem,” said resident Anthony Clayton.
“I think, for one, doing something about the gun situation is to either get weapons, you know, automatic weapons and things like that,” said resident Ted Smith.
Those concerns are the same ones that Cleveland Safety Committee Chair Michael Polensek has raised.
Polensek says there have been 101 homicides this year, which means Cleveland is on track to break a 30-year high. The council has reached out to the mayor's office multiple times asking to be a part of the conversation when it comes to hiring more officers and curbing crime, but they have seen no plans of action.
“Today, again, I said to the command staff, to the administration, 'What is the game plan? How are you going to address this growing violence?” said Polensek.
During a press conference following the West 6th shooting that left 9 people injured, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb spoke about plans to bolster police recruitment and pushed for stricter gun laws.
“Tackling violent crime is a multi-pronged approach — not just law enforcement, not just the investment we’re making in neighborhoods, but we need better legislation at the state and federal level to get illegal guns off our streets,” Bibb said.
Polensek said the focus needs to be on neighborhoods and not just downtown.
“There has been carnage every week in this city, every other day in this city, and yet it took a shooting on West 6th. 'Now we are going to do this'...well, wait a minute, we've been asking for this,” said Polensek, adding that it’s not about him, but residents like Anthony and Ted.
“I think for the most part, we should be adults. You know, look at the things that need to be there and try to address as opposed to making everything so political, one side or the other,” said Smith.
The police union tells News 5 they're in conversations with Cleveland Police to help with recruitment.
We reached out to Bibb’s office for comment and it released the following statement:
"The Administration is being as open as we can with the city’s legislative body at this point in time given the fact that a lot of their inquiries are related to open, active, and very sensitive investigations. We cannot divulge certain information that compromises these investigations for the safety of witnesses, victims, and other members of the public. This is how these things are handled not just here, but in other cities and in Washington D.C. too. The FBI, Secret Service, and other federal agencies cannot share certain information with Congress that would put citizens in danger. It’s the same here.
At the end of the day, we’re focused on doing everything we can to find solutions rather than amplifying problems. We invite council to join us in doing the same.
The Administration values transparency and keeping an open line of communication with council and the public, which we have done extensively since taking office....... "
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