CLEVELAND — News 5 Investigators uncover gaps in staffing at Cleveland's Real Time Crime Center. When most people are sleeping, some of Cleveland's worst crimes, like homicides, happen.
The Real-Time Crime Center started operating about four years ago. It's a small room with live camera feeds on crime hot spots.
Gov. Mike DeWine and Mayor Justin Bibb toured the center in May 2022.
RELATED: Mayor Bibb and Gov. DeWine tour Cleveland police Real-Time Crime Center
"As Mayor, my No. 1, No. 1 priority is to keep our streets safe and secure, and I will use every resource I can," Bibb said in 2022.
Back then, Bibb wanted to make sure it was working 24/7.
But two years later, News 5 Investigators found that wasn't the case.
On April 12, at about 3 a.m., Cleveland police were called for gunfire near Q's Gas and Go at Clark Avenue and West 44th Street.
The gas station had damage to the front window.
Karam Salaheden took ownership of the store in January 2024.
'It's a big problem in this area; it's a lot of guns, yeah," Salaheden said.
We asked Salaheden whether he thought the real-time crime cameras were helpful.
“No, no, no,” Salaheden said.
Cleveland has dozens of those cameras all over the city.
We found clusters of cameras along East 55th Street, St. Clair and Superior avenues on the city's East Side. Over on the West Side, they're along Detroit and Clark avenues.
The cameras are extra eyes for police when officers aren't there. But what if nobody's watching the live feeds?
"I have heard that real time crime is effective when they are called and they have people there," said Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Andy Gasiewski.
But how often are there people staffing the Real Time Crime Center?
"No one's working the 3rd shift," Gasiewski said.
News 5 Investigators obtained time sheets and daily duty reports through a public records request.
On April 12, when a bullet shattered the gas station window at Clark Avenue and West 44th Street, News 5 Investigators discovered it happened after two real-time officers clocked out.
At 1 a.m. on April 23, when a man was killed in a hit-and-run on East 55th Street, records show the real-time officer's shift had ended.
We analyzed time sheets and daily duty assignments for April and found a gap in staffing in 28 out of the 29 days.
The average gap in staffing was nearly five hours.
On a Friday into Saturday in late April, police confirm a coverage gap of about nine-and-a-half hours.
News 5 Investigators asked Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Andy Gasiewski if the center should be staffed 24/7.
"Well, if you're calling it a real-time crime, I believe crime happens in the early morning or late hours in the night, so yes," Gasiewski said.
We asked Cleveland Police Commander Ron Kauntz about it
"There is a gap; we're not going to be able to cover 24 hours every day," Kauntz said.
We asked Kauntz if someone should always be there with the amount of money spent on technology.
"We're hoping to get more staffing," Kauntz said.
Police say the Real Time Crime Center is the first go-to for officers.
If no one's there, a district supervisor or road supervisor can tap into the cameras on desktops or in their cars. But it may take more time.
We asked Kauntz if they'd want that information immediately.
"Sure, as quick as possible," Kauntz said.
Security Consultant Jason Russell was a Secret Service agent and, before that, a police officer. He's the founder and president of Secure Environment Consultants.
"The longer it takes to get information, the longer it takes to roll out information, the less visibility you have on a particular scene, the more difficult it is to catch somebody who is committing a crime," Russell said.
Russell says that with officer shortages, real-time crime centers allow police to do more with less.
But without 24/7 staffing, you're not getting the most out of it.
"You're losing the advantage of having that technology in place and it basically takes that investment and makes it a lot less valuable," Russell said.
Three police officers, one sergeant and three civilians make up the Real Time Crime Center staff.
They work ten-hour, staggered shifts.
However, one of the civilians is dedicated to homicide detail.
Police say they're making every effort to recruit personnel. The commander told us the city wanted to hire two more people.
We did not see any job openings on the city's website.
"It's been dramatic, the impact, the amount of support provided to investigators to officers, it's just incredible in how to solve cases," Kauntz said.
When Cleveland was looking to create a Real Time Crime Center, Kauntz said they reached out to various cities, including Detroit, since they were impressed with that city's program. They took some of their concepts and brought them to Cleveland.
Kauntz says the staffing in Detroit is significant, and it's something they are striving for in the future.
