By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- Cleveland, Ohio — City leaders say major crimes fell in 2025: homicides -16%, rape -28%, GTA -26%, robbery -24%, felony assault -15%, burglary -14%. Police1
- Recruiting surge: Cadet applications up 356% (about 250 applicants vs. 55 last year); two academy classes planned for April and August. Police1
- Why officials credit the drop: Proactive enforcement operations, a new gun intelligence center, expanded LPR cameras, and coordinated federal/state partnerships. Police1
- Caveat: Despite gains, 82 departures this year and 1,254 officers on hand vs. 1,350 budgeted mean attrition remains a challenge. Police1
CLEVELAND — Cleveland officials announced significant year-over-year crime reductions alongside a recruiting turnaround, pointing to focused enforcement and new technology as drivers of the trend.
Mayor Justin Bibb and Police Chief Dorothy Todd reported double-digit declines across several Part I categories: homicides down 16%, rape 28%, grand theft auto 26%, robbery 24%, felony assault 15%, and burglary 14%. The update follows a two-month joint enforcement operation (Oct. 15–Dec. 15) that produced 300+ firearm seizures, 338 felony arrests, recovery of 130 stolen vehicles, and seizures of ~65 pounds of narcotics and $303,980 in cash, officials said. Police1
Bibb credited the city’s Gun Intelligence Center, wider deployment of license plate readers, and the Safe Smart Camera program for helping investigators identify offenders and hotspots. Chief Todd highlighted partnerships with the U.S. Marshals, FBI, Ohio State Highway Patrol and others to target repeat violent offenders. Police1
On staffing, the department says cadet applications climbed 356%—from 55 last year to ~250 this year—after policy changes that streamlined hiring, adjusted age requirements, and offered $25/hour during the academy plus a $5,000 signing bonus. The city plans to graduate 36 cadets in April and another cohort in August. Even so, officials acknowledged 82 departures this year and a force of ~1,254 officers, short of the 1,350 budgeted positions. Police1
Bibb said the next recruitment event in January already has ~800 applicants registered, while the city continues to use nuisance-abatement closures and other accountability tools against nightlife venues tied to violence. Leaders also flagged juvenile crime—including vehicle break-ins by very young offenders—as an ongoing focus. Police1