Gov. Mike DeWine, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and law enforcement officials have released more details about ongoing law enforcement surges in Cleveland intended to crack down on gun violence in the city.
There have been three, two-day law enforcement surges in the city so far, officials said during a press conference Tuesday in Cleveland. The governor announced there have been 138 arrests as a result, and 63 guns had been seized from individuals who allegedly weren’t permitted to carry them.
The governor said these guns have a history.
"We know that 10 guns from the two August crime surges left behind shell casings at 23 other crime scenes,” DeWine said. “Every one of these crimes I’m referencing were either committed, back in the history I’m talking about, in Cleveland itself or in a close jurisdiction.”
The crackdown has focused on Cleveland’s second, third, fourth and fifth precincts. It's included an effort involving the state of Ohio, officers from the Cleveland Division of Police, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service among others.
At Tuesday's press conference, officials said they had used the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, which tracks the criminal history of guns used in crimes, and ShotSpotter technology to aid in their efforts.
Throughout the surges, law enforcement has also recovered stolen cars and illegal drugs.
Bibb said he encountered one resident recently who told him she felt some relief from the gun violence.
“(She was) so amazed and so thrilled to see state highway patrol working with the Cleveland Division of Police to keep our city safe.”
