U.S. Rep. Max Miller: Send in the National Guard to Cleveland

U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, is calling on Gov. Mike DeWine to deploy the Ohio National Guard in Cleveland to help local authorities curb rising crime, igniting a debate over safety, state power and local control over law enforcement.

In an op-ed for The Washington Times, Miller points to what he describes as alarming levels of homicides and violent crime in Cleveland, and argues that his “constituents in the suburbs are afraid to go into the city.”

“The Cleveland I grew up in is now unrecognizable,” Miller wrote. “Families no longer feel safe walking down the street, and small businesses are being boarded up.”

He writes the people of Cleveland “deserve to feel safe again. They deserve to live without fear.”

Miller is urging DeWine to authorize a National Guard deployment to Cleveland, likening it to efforts in Washington, D.C., where Guard presence has been used to “stabilize the situation.” He makes the case that a visible military style presence would deter criminal activity and support law enforcement.

Ohio.News reached Miller and asked him to address concerns some have raised that a strong, militarized, law and order, presence could needlessly intimidate or alienate portions of the community that are already distrustful of law enforcement. Miller said he understands the concerns and wants to assure Clevelanders that this deployment will benefit all seeking to live a peaceful life in safety.

“As elected officials, allowing violence and lawlessness to continue unchecked would be a dereliction of our duty to protect our communities,” Miller told Ohio.News. “While some communities may already be distrustful of law enforcement, higher crime rates hurt low-income and minority neighborhoods the most. A robust, coordinated security presence helps protect businesses, schools, and families.

“We’ve already seen it work in D.C.,” Miller added. “Fox News reported that the crackdown on Washington crime overwhelmingly benefited Black Americans, who are common victims of violent crimes. The same can be true in Cleveland.”

DeWine, while acknowledging concerns, has not publicly committed to sending the Guard to Cleveland.

DeWine told Statehouse News Bureau that a multi-agency team will go to Cleveland to assist with crime reduction efforts. DeWine also emphasized that under Ohio law, mayors typically must request the National Guard for deployment in their cities.

A spokesman for the governor told Ohio.News that he was not aware of any National Guard requests from Mayor Justin Bibb. He added that the Ohio State Highway Patrol does offer periodic assistance to Cleveland and referred questions about those efforts to the state patrol, which did not respond to a request for comment.

U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, whose district covers Cleveland, sharply criticized Miller’s proposal. She called deploying the National Guard “unnecessary, unserious, and flat-out counterproductive,” saying to Cleveland 19 that such a move would sideline local law enforcement, distract from real emergencies and “create chaos.”

Under Ohio’s “home rule” system, mayors generally must request the governor to deploy the National Guard within city limits. Gov. DeWine’s office has indicated that fulfilling such a request will need to contend with that procedural barrier.

According to Axios, Cleveland has had 46 homicides in the first half of 2025, nearly a 30% drop compared to the same period in 2024. Statistics provided by Cleveland Health’s 2022 violence and injury report show that the city’s homicide rate was 33.7 per 100,000 residents, substantially higher than the national average of 8.2 per 100,000.

Firearms were involved in about 84% of those homicides.