A joint public-safety push by the state of Ohio and Cleveland officials has led to more than 1,400 felony arrests and the seizure of over 1,000 illegally possessed firearms.
State officials pointed to new Ohio Department of Public Safety data to argue that a small share of offenders drives most weapons violations and violent crime. The department’s Office of Criminal Justice Services reported that less than 1% of Ohio adults are arrested in a given year for a weapons charge or violent offense.
Repeat offending was a common thread in the long-term data, which span 1974 to 2023. About one-third of adults arrested for violent crimes had been arrested at least five times, and roughly half of those arrested on weapons violations had five or more prior arrests.
The Cleveland partnership, launched in July 2023 as the Raising Investment in Safety for Everyone initiative (RISE), is part of a broader strategy the state says it is pursuing with local agencies. Similar efforts have been undertaken in Akron, Canton, Columbus, Dayton, Lima, Mansfield, Springfield, Toledo, Youngstown and Zanesville.
Officials credited the program with measurable gains but said sustained work is needed to curb violent crime and illegal gun possession. They emphasized that the data support targeted enforcement against repeat offenders.
The results also drew political reaction, with U.S. Rep. Max Miller urging stronger state involvement and renewing his call to send the National Guard to Cleveland. Mayor Justin Bibb said deploying the Guard is not under consideration.