Sheriff credits downtown safety patrol for decrease in violent crime

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) – Cuyahoga County Sheriff Deputies are now planning to move around a unit that’s been focused on downtown Cleveland.

Cuyahoga County Sheriff Harold Pretel tells us he believes violent crime in downtown Cleveland has decreased in the past 14 months, in part, to the work of his department’s downtown safety patrol.

Since January, the DSP made 207 arrests and confiscated over 125 guns. The sheriff said the guns were taken out of the hands of convicted felons and others that were not legally allowed to have them.

The DSP started working in downtown Cleveland in August of 2023.

The DSP will now evolve and will soon have a new name. Pretel says his department will now offer the same services to other Cuyahoga County communities that may need help.

“It’s important we provide the same level of service to other municipalities that could use the assistance outside of downtown,” Pretel said.

The new name of the unit is expected to be announced soon.

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