CLEVELAND — The number of homicides in Cleveland is up double digits from the same time last year. It’s more than 30% higher. In other major cities, the increase is as much as 50%.
Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams addressed the spike in violent crime on Wednesday. According to Williams, there are roughly a dozen initiatives underway to combat crime, including federal partnerships, which includes the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force.
“U.S. Marshals runs our violent fugitive task force, and their job is to go all in and track down the worst of the worst. Those folks that have committed violent, heinous offenses in our community and our detectives have identified those folks, gotten warrants for their arrest. Those warrants are turned over to our violent fugitive task force. And they do a tremendous job on tracking these folks down,” said Williams.
The number one priority of the task force is tracking down homicide suspects.
“The homicides we’re working are the absolute number one priority,” said Supervisory Deputy US Marshal.
Right now, task force members have 37 homicide arrest warrants, 20 of them from Cleveland.
The US Marshals offer reward money for information leading to the arrest of any fugitive. The amount is between $500 and $5,000, depending on the case. 1-866-4-WANTED is the tip line for the USMS.
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