The U.S. Marshals announced a new initiative called Operation 216, which will focus on criminal hotspots in Cleveland.
“We are so grateful for the partnership we have with U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott and his team,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “We are committed to an all-hands-on-deck, collaborative and coordinated approach to cracking down on crime in our city and, as we saw last summer, operations like this really make a difference.”
The operation will receive funding from Cleveland's NICE Unit and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department Warrant Unit.
“The importance of the teamwork and collaboration we have with the U.S. Marshals cannot be overstated,” said Cleveland Chief of Police Wayne Drummond. “The Marshals, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Cuyahoga County Sherriff’s Department are great partners year-round, and we really appreciate the hard work that they do.”
Marshals would not provide specifics of the operation but said it will likely take place between August and September.
“Combating violent crime and arresting those responsible for these acts is our top priority,” U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said. “We are pleased to be able to provide support to the Cleveland Division of Police as we work together to secure our streets and remove violent offenders from our communities.”
In addition to tactical support, Operation 216 will also have a cold case investigator assigned to work on unsolved homicide cases ranging from 2 to 3 years old.
