CLEVELAND — Residents in the neighborhood surrounding Thursday night's shooting that left a veteran Cleveland police detective and another man dead have been voicing concerns for months over crime and safety.
Cleveland Councilwoman Jasmin Santana says her Ward 14 constituents had repeatedly called her complaining about everything from gunshots at night to street corner drug deals.
“We’re getting more calls for drug activity, ATVs, which is happening across the city, a lot shootings, burglaries, street-corner drug dealing — and very visible," Santana said.
Santana is a member of the council’s Public Safety Committee that just yesterday heard testimony over crime and safety in Ohio.
Among those speaking was U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman, Northern District of Ohio.
“We are on pace to be above where violent crime numbers were last year," Herdman told the committee.
Herdman is part of a federal effort known as “Operation Legend” employing scores of additional federal law enforcement agents in cities around the country and here in Cleveland.
Thursday night's tragedy was part of that law enforcement effort that Councilwoman Santana supports, but says it’s a two-sided coin.
“So, like what do you do? What’s the balance, what’s the solution? You want to address the crime, but then you have this lack of respect for authority and they’re putting their life on the line," said Santana.
RELATED: 3 juveniles arrested in connection to the killing of CPD detective James Skernivitz
