CLEVELAND — In the past month, there have been two shootings and a robbery in Ohio City — all just weeks apart. Now, some residents are wondering: Is crime on the rise, and should they be concerned?
Ohio City is a place where you’ll often see people walking their dogs, students heading to class, and the occasional siren, too.
Aside from having a hospital at its center, police say that in recent weeks, they’ve responded to several serious calls.
On Sept. 5, a 34-year-old man was taken to the hospital after being shot in Market Square, right across from the West Side Market.
Then, about a week later, a student from Saint Ignatius was robbed at gunpoint just after 6 p.m. while walking nearby.
Just this morning, another shooting happened. This time, at the corner of West 32nd and Bridge, a 40-year-old man was taken to the hospital.
“Its a little worrisome I was far enough away that I was aware of it but defiantly questionable,” said one Ohio City resident.
“I feel totally safe walking in this neighborhood all the time. I know that crime, crime is up, but I’m always aware of my surroundings, but it's still pretty scary,” said another Ohio City resident.
While some residents say they’re more cautious now, others — like AJ Miner, whose son attends Saint Ignatius — say they’re not too worried.
“I feel like those things are always just kind of happening in the periphery, and they seem to be happening within a population, not so much like targeting people like that are not involved in,” said AJ.
“As a student, I feel quite protected there. We got security on campus constantly,” said Colin Miner, a senior at Saint Ignatius.
So the question remains: Is Ohio City safe? And is crime actually up? We asked Cleveland Police.
“I wouldn't necessarily say an uptick. You know, it's important to remember that incidents do occur in our city, across the county, across the nation,” said Sergeant Freddy Diaz, Cleveland Division of Police.
Diaz told News 5 that while it may feel like crime is increasing, that’s not actually the case. What has changed is how police are patrolling.
“Officers are using more intelligent lead type of policing, which is important to consider these types of incidents, you know do occur with the use of this technology, with the use of experienced officers to investigate we hope to resolve that quickly as we possibly can,” Diaz said.
He also confirmed that police are still investigating the robbery and both shootings, and reminds the public that safety is everyone’s responsibility, so if you see something, say something.
“We always like to remind folks to be aware of their surroundings. Be aware when they're walking,” Diaz said.
