State troopers conduct more than 5,100 traffic stops in Cleveland

Ohio state troopers have conducted more than 5,100 traffic stops in Cleveland this year as part of a partnership the state agency has with local officials.

Through these efforts, troopers removed 167 impaired drivers, issued 431 distracted driving citations, made 113 felony arrests, served 129 warrants, and tallied 36 drug violations and 28 weapons violations, Bret Crow, director of communications for the Ohio Department of Public Safety, told Ohio.News.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol collaborates with the Cleveland Division of Police and other federal, state, and local partners “on an ongoing basis to enhance public safety.” As part of the partnership, authorities “focus resources and personnel to areas with increased criminal activity in Cleveland, supporting local efforts to reduce violent crime.”

“Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol will increase traffic enforcement in targeted areas and provide enhanced street patrol,” Crow said in an email. “OSHP’s Aviation Unit also provides aerial overwatch for the law enforcement teams on the ground to support criminal suspect searches and vehicle pursuit mitigation.”

More Than the State Highway Patrol

Separate from the state highway patrol, the Ohio Investigative Unit, a separate division within the Ohio Department of Public Safety, is also providing support to Cleveland.

“These teams focus on taking enforcement action on those who illegally carry weapons and commit other crimes on the premises of liquor establishments in high-crime areas,” Crow said.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s Adult Parole Authority also works to locate people who have been formerly incarcerated and are violating post-release control requirements.

“The shared goal of these initiatives is to enhance public safety for those who live, work, or visit Cleveland,” Crow said.

Separately, U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, called on Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to deploy the Ohio National Guard in Cleveland to help authorities combat crime. In a recent op-ed published in The Washington Times, Miller points to what he describes as alarming levels of homicides and violent crime in Cleveland, saying that his “constituents in the suburbs are afraid to go into the city.”

A Cincinnati Partnership

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the state announced a new partnership with Cincinnati officials aimed at keeping the public safe and targeting violent criminals. The Ohio State Highway Patrol will start working directly with the Cincinnati Police to implement data-driven “violent crime reduction initiatives.”

“We’ve dispatched this state support to other cities in the past, and we’ve seen great results,” Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said in a release announcing the Cincinnati partnership. “We are confident that, through this partnership effort, these violent crime reduction initiatives will make a difference in Cincinnati.”