EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne announced he will create an Office of Violence Prevention during a news conference in East Cleveland Thursday morning.
Ronayne said the office will coordinate with community partners to implement violence prevention measures, mostly targeted at teenagers.
Those measures, he said, will include keeping libraries and recreation centers open for longer hours, especially during the summer months, when crime tends to increase.
Other programs discussed included helping teens find summer jobs and providing mental health services.
He said the office will also apply for grants for violence prevention programs.
"We will be turning over every stone for dollars to get money for programs that keep people well and safe and out of trouble," he said.
For now, the office will have only one employee, a violence prevention administrator, who has yet to be hired, but Ronayne said the office can still be effective.
"We will build up," he said. "It's going to be a part of the Department of Public Safety, which has over 25 employees, so there's a bench strength there, but the main thing is this administrator that is working for the Office of Violence Prevention will have a network of partners in our communities."
"We call on every community to lend a hand to help us prevent violence in our community," he said.
Cuyahoga County Councilman Michael Houser, Sr. (District 10) advocated for the Office of Violence Prevention after a tragedy in his community.
He said Cuyahoga County had the highest rate of gun violence related to homicides in the state in 2022 and that the medical examiner reported 272 deaths involving firearms in 2024.
Mayors from East Cleveland, Euclid, and Parma were also at the news conference to discuss violence prevention initiatives in their cities.
Those initiatives included building relationships with business owners to make sure their properties are safe, community policing, providing activities and safe places for kids, and, in Euclid, building a new recreation and wellness center.
