Violent Crime Nearly Doubled In Cleveland Heights In 2016

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — There were 145 violent crimes in Cleveland Heights in 2016, a significant increase versus 2015, according to FBI crimes stats released Monday. The uptick in violent crime mirrors similar trends in Ohio and the U.S. at-large. The number of murders in the Buckeye State, for instance, increased 31 percent from 2015 to 2016.

There were three murders or non-negligent manslaughters in the city last year, one more than in 2015. There were also nine rapes, up from six in 2015.

“As we’ve seen nationally, there has been an uptick in crime from 2015 to 2016,” said Cleveland Heights Police Chief Annette Mecklenburg. “ We have seen decreases in some categories while facing increases in others. The CHPD has taken many steps to help prevent crimes from happening and has focused on discouraging juveniles from committing crimes.”

The largest uptick in violent crimes came in the categories of robberies and aggravated assaults. The city had 80 robberies in 2016 and 53 aggravated assaults. In 2015, there were 43 reported robberies and 33 aggravated assaults, the data says. (To stay up to date on these stories, subscribe to the Patch Cleveland Heights newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

On the bright side, property crimes saw a slight decrease from 2015 to 2016 in Cleveland Heights. There were 997 reported incidents of property crimes last year, versus 1,041 in 2015.

Last year, there were 118 burglaries, 781 larceny thefts, 98 stolen cars and three cases of arson. For comparison, in 2015, there were 136 burglaries, 822 larceny thefts, 83 stolen cars, and one case of arson.

A city spokesperson said in a statement that police are beginning to use predictive policing strategies to track and prevent crime and are implementing a Juvenile Diversion Program to educate youth offenders on the dangers of a life of crime.

The city is also collaborating with other municipalities to combat violent crime and is planning on using improved technology through the new regional Dispatch Center, which is set to open next month.

The Bigger Picture

In Ohio, there were 654 murders reported, or 5.6 murders for every 100,000 people, in 2016, up from 500 murders, 0r 4.3 per every 100,000 in 2015, the FBI data shows. Additionally, the FBI data also shows that the number of rapes increased to 5,589 from 5,149, or 9%, and the number of aggravated assaults climbed to 16,111 from 15,695, or 3% in 2016 from 2015.

The uptick in violent crimes in Ohio mirrored an uptick nationally. The FBI report shows there were an estimated 1.2 million violent crimes in the U.S. in 2016, and while those numbers rose from 2015 to 2016, the five-year trend shows an increase of 2.6 percent from 2012, and the 10-year trend shows a decrease in violent crimes of 12.3 percent from 2007. Murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault are considered by the FBI to be violent crimes.

“For the sake of all Americans, we must confront and turn back the rising tide of violent crime. And we must do it together,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with our state, local, and tribal partners across the country to deter violent crime, dismantle criminal organizations and gangs, stop the scourge of drug trafficking, and send a strong message to criminals that we will not surrender our communities to lawlessness and violence.”

For more information on Ohio's uptick in violent crime, click here.

Photo from Renee Schiavone, Patch