The city of Cleveland saw a dramatic drop in homicides in 2024, according to numbers provided by the city’s data dashboard.
As of Tuesday, the city’s total for 2024 was 105 homicides. That is well-below the recent high of 180 in 2020 and the 2018 total of 116.
Over the past two years, the city launched a series of measures to reverse the COVID-era spike in violent crime. In October, 2023, Mayor Justin Bibb announced across-the-board raises, with the most experienced patrol officers making more than $84,000 a year. The department also moved from 10-hour to 12-hour shifts, with the goal of reducing mandated overtime for patrol officers.
“The current system where officers are being mandated is stressful on their lives,” said Deputy Chief Daniel Fay at the time of the announcement. “The 12-hour shifts are going to reduce some of that stress, and that work-family balance that they need is going to come to fruition. I firmly believe that.”
In July, 2023, Bibb launched the Raising Investment in Safety for Everyone, or RISE, initiative that targeted high-crime areas and sought to expand city services like public works and parks in those areas, in addition to increasing enforcement.
This past summer, increased enforcement led to 726 arrests, 390 guns recovered and 4,259 traffic tickets.
“My administration will continue doing everything in our power – including grassroots efforts to engage and hear directly from our residents – to change the narrative and perception around crime in the city,” Bibb said, in a September, 2024 statement to media.
Felonious assaults, which includes non-fatal shootings, are down from their peak during the pandemic – 3,061 in 2021 to 2,468 in 2024. Motor vehicle thefts are also dropping – from a recent high of 5,311 in 2023 to 4,246 in 2024. However, motor vehicle thefts remain well above the pre-pandemic total – 2,910 in 2019.
Cleveland’s drop in violent crime also mirrors a nationwide decrease compared to peaks during the pandemic.
