CLEVELAND — It’s taking Cleveland police longer to get to the most serious calls and the less serious ones.
Recent city numbers show response times are up across the board.
News 5 Investigators found Rodney Fuqua sweeping his street in his Collinwood neighborhood.
He told us that if you take care of your neighborhood, it takes care of you.
“We all come together. It would be a good neighborhood again because once upon a time it was a good neighborhood,” Fuqua said.
But he says it’s not like that anymore.
“You just hear so many gunshots you get used to it,” Fuqua said.
We asked if he wanted more police on patrol.
“If they come around. We’re getting a lot of presence now and starting to patrol better now,” Fuqua said.
It was gun violence that brought police to the end of his street at E. 156th Street and St. Clair Avenue on the night of May 9.
That’s where an 18-year-old was shot and killed.
“I hope it gets better before the summer starts,” Fuqua said.
Cleveland has a police officer shortage.
Recent city numbers show response times are up from last year for all priority calls.
More than 13% for the highest of the calls and a 23% increase for the lowest, where only a report is needed.
“When people say we call the police and it takes them forever to get there, I totally understand it, Cleveland Councilman Mike Polensek said.
Polensek has been calling for more officers on the streets.
"The administration has got to understand the severity of the problem we’ve got to get another class on like now another police class like now we can’t wait till August,” Polensek said.
Police Union President Andy Gasiewski says it’s a personnel issue.
“I fear the summer,” Gasiewski said.
He says response times are increasing because right now, there are only five two-man cars in each of the five districts, which is the bare minimum.
“If you have an accident on the highway it’s going to take three of those five cars,” Gasiewski said.
Gasiewski says the staffing problem should have been fixed years ago.
“The only quick fix to this is not the shifts of 12’s or 20’s, it’s the idea that a personnel shortage, the proper thing is to get personnel," Gasiewski said.
One week ago, Mayor Justin Bibb announced his summer safety plan, “Operation Heatwave.”
It includes a fast response car on a 12-hour shift dedicated to higher priority calls, including 1’s and 2’s.
“The elderly living in fear around here,” Fuqua said.
Fuqua says he was a crime victim years ago in front of his own house. “Makes me bitter. I watch my surroundings more, um, don’t trust."
Anyone we asked.
“No one,” Fuqua said.
The mayor’s "Operation Heatwave," which runs through August 31, also includes violent crime reduction details and increased traffic enforcement.
