In Cleveland, the number of serious crimes has decreased, but the number of rapes is increasing

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A national police association said violent crime rates have decreased in all three of Ohio's major cities, including Cleveland. However, one violent crime has increased compared to last year.

Mayor Justin Bibb believes things are looking up given the reported decline in serious crime.

“Murder rates are down over 20%,” Bibb said. “Every department in the city of Cleveland is working to keep our streets safe.”

The Major Cities Chiefs Association recently released a mid-year crime study comparing the number of violent crimes in the first half of 2024 to that of 2023. These crimes include murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Cleveland saw a decrease in every category except rape, where the number of reported cases increased by 32.

“Some of these are from events that happened years ago and are just now being reported,” said Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd. “So there's a lot to these numbers. It's a really sensitive issue how we deal with these rape numbers.”

According to Police Chief Todd, serious crime in the city has declined overall in recent years.

“Our goal is to continue to combat these violent crimes and reduce their numbers,” Todd said.

“I believe we are one of the leading cities in the country when it comes to reducing violent crime,” Bibb said.

This year, Cleveland had the lowest murder rate compared to Ohio's other two largest cities, Columbus and Cincinnati. Police Chief Todd says the city's homicide clearance rate is currently above the national average. Mayor Bibb attributes the drop in crime to numerous measures, such as the violence prevention program and his new homeless initiative. But officials agree there is still much work to be done.

“Sure,” Bibb said. “I think the investments we've made in the RISE initiative have all contributed to increasing our police officer numbers.”

However, CPD says it could use about 200 more officers. The department has a budget of 1,350 sworn police officers but currently has only 1,122. Even so, Chief Todd says there will always be visible officers patrolling Cleveland's streets.

“We will continue to be proactive and enforce aggressively throughout the year,” Todd said.

Todd says there are currently 41 recruits at the police academy and another academy course is scheduled to begin in December.

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