Gov. DeWine gives update on efforts to reduce violence in Northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will give an update Tuesday afternoon on how the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program has helped the state’s law enforcement agencies.

DeWine will make his announcement at the Garfield Heights Police Department.

According to a news release, DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly created the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program in 2021.

The goal of the program was to give local law enforcement across the state “additional tools to help them prevent and investigate incidents of violent crime in their communities.”

In September 2022, DeWine announced 13 Ohio law enforcement agencies received a total of $8.2 million. These grants represented the eighth round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program.

Here is a look at some of Northeast Ohio’s agencies who have been awarded money through the program:

• Cleveland - $6,317,502 technology to analyze bullets, prevent youth in gangs, real time crime center. ($4.2M to be given as bonuses to 1,405 officers as retention bonuses)
• East Cleveland - $149,236 for technology to detect gun shots
• Canton - $74,760 for technology to identify crime hotspots and deploy resources
• Akron - $0 (It is unclear at this time if Akron has submitted a grant and is awaiting approval)
• Lakewood - $217,752 technology to reduce violent crime and focus on Madison park
• Garfield Heights - $1,311,936 technology to find crime hotspots and repeat offenders
• Westlake - $1.948,775 technology for high crime detection areas, hire new officers, retention bonuses
• Strongsville - $1,620,514 hiring three full-time officers and five full-time dispatchers

A total of approximately $100 million will be awarded in total throughout the program.

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