Gov. Mike DeWine has been praising the multi-agency task forces working in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Dayton. DeWine said the task forces, which involve cooperation of local, state, and federal agencies, are targeting violent crime in those cities.
More than two dozen officers from different agencies, many in unmarked cars, were working together in Cincinnati on a recent cold, windy autumn night as part of a crime crackdown.
Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Matt Schmenk was in his cruiser at the beginning of his shift when he got the call on the radio that shots had been fired near woods that run alongside a major highway in the Queen City. The suspect was in the woods with an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter on his trail.
"He's not moving anymore. Walker down. And his position below this tree might be trying to hide under a log or something," Schmenk said.
Thanks to thermal imaging on the screens in their cars, Schmenk and other local and state officers were able to see exactly what was happening in real time. The task force made six arrests on this night alone, but Schmenk said some other nights have been busier. Schmenk said having the chopper in the air, along with the combined resources from local, state, and federal agencies provide officers with more protection for their own safety. And he said it allows them to be more effective.
“We don't necessarily come into the city a lot. So when our officers do come down here, we have their officers with them. Not only do the officers here know their patterns of different suspects and different things that are going on in the city, but they know where they're at in the city," Schmenk said.
Schmenk said with more officers on the ground and in the air, it is easier for them to take a proactive approach to fighting crime.
"You got more eyes in the car, right? You're not only watching vehicles that are doing whatever on the roadway. That officer is also watching people on the sidewalks and seeing if they're jaywalking or if they do a certain thing when we drive by," Schmenk said. "If they do some kind of behavior that's not normal, they can stop and you can talk to somebody."
Teams like this one involve local police, sheriffs, and state highway patrol officers, the Ohio Investigative Unit, the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority. Federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Federal Marshal’s office, also provide support. The idea is to bring all of the resources together and allow each entity to do its job with the help of the others.
DeWine: this approach to fighting crime works
DeWine said those task forces target high crime areas and repeat offenders who are illegally carrying weapons. He said statewide data going back to 1973 shows it's a small group of people who are responsible for most of the violent crime in the state.
"These latest numbers show that less than one percent of Ohio's adult population was arrested for a violent crime or a weapons offense in any given year, and it also shows that most of these individuals are repeat offenders," DeWine said.
DeWine said 69% of those arrested for a violent crime have been arrested more than once. He explained that offenders who have been arrested five times or more constitute a third of all arrests. He said that's why it is effective to work with agencies that deal with different types of crime and have access to more data.
“What we have found is when these groups come together and work together, it gives us our best chance at protecting people and our best chance at going after the violent repeat offenders," DeWine said.
This is an ongoing effort, DeWine said, not merely a one-and-done situation. Since the beginning of this year, these efforts have led to more than 500 arrests statewide, including those for arson, sexual assault, and murder.
To watch a recent task force in action, click here.
