CLEVELAND, Ohio — There's a new effort to improve public safety, combat crime and restore faith in the City of Cleveland.
The city is hosting its first-ever Public Safety Summit Wednesday morning.
It comes as crime rates surge and the number of police recruits drops to new lows.
City leaders say they are well aware of residents' concerns about gun violence and overall safety.
They say this is a proactive approach to fix the ongoing problem.
Those discussions will start at Cleveland City Hall and the goal is to bring immediate change to the streets of Cleveland.
Mayor Justin Bibb is working directly with the Fraternal Order of Police and the Cleveland Patrolmen's Association.
Together—they're hosting the RISE Summit.
Rise stands for Raising Investment in Safety for Everyone, and it was announced last month.
The agenda focuses on keeping officers on the job, recruiting more, and then sending them to the areas that have become persistent problem spots across town.
News 5 has learned that a third of a new Cleveland Police class has quit, citing things like getting other jobs, not wanting to do the work, and traveling too far of a commute.
News 5 told you last month—a union attorney said the Cleveland Police Department is 200 officers short and nearing 1920 levels.
Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek reports 95 officers have left the department so far this year.
More than half of those officers resigned.
Bibb released the following statement on Wednesday's event saying in part:
"We intend to make a few key announcements that are aimed at addressing current recruitment trends in the Division of Police.
Public Safety is paramount to everything else we do here at City Hall and investing in those who protect us every day is critical to achieving our goals."
The City of Cleveland's Public Safety Summit is set for 10:30 a.m. at Cleveland City Hall.
Bibb, Police Chief Wayne Drummond, and other law enforcement officials will talk post-summit.
Watch for the latest updates on News 5 starting at noon.
