Editing Cleveland (section)

== Public safety ==
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=== Police and law enforcement{{anchor|Crime}} ===
{{main|Cleveland Division of Police}}
Like in other major American cities, crime in Cleveland is concentrated in areas with higher rates of poverty and lower access to jobs.<ref name="HUD">{{cite web |title=Neighborhoods and Violent Crime |publisher=[[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development]] |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/em/summer16/highlight2.html |access-date=August 7, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Wells |first=Michael V. |title=Crime |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History |publisher=Case Western Reserve University |url=https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/crime |access-date=August 7, 2019 |date=May 11, 2018 }}</ref> In recent decades, the rate of crime in the city, although higher than the national average, experienced a significant decline, following a nationwide trend in falling crime rates.<ref name="HUD" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Higgs |first=Robert |title=Cleveland's rates for nearly all violent crimes, property crimes dropped again in 2018 |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |url=https://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/2019/01/clevelands-rates-for-nearly-all-violent-crimes-property-crimes-dropped-again-in-2018.html |date=January 30, 2019 |access-date=July 10, 2019 }}</ref> However, as in other major U.S. cities, crime in Cleveland saw an abrupt rise in 2020–21.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Shannon |title=Cleveland's rise in violent crime makes national headlines, city leaders react |newspaper=[[WOIO]] |url=https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/01/04/clevelands-rise-violent-crime-makes-national-headlines-city-leaders-react/ |date=January 4, 2021 |access-date=June 17, 2022 }}</ref>

Cleveland's law enforcement agency is the Cleveland Division of Police, established in 1866.<ref name="CLEpolice">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Cleveland Police Department |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History |publisher=Case Western Reserve University |url=https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cleveland-police-department |access-date=August 7, 2019 |date=May 31, 2019 }}</ref> The division had roughly 1,100 sworn officers as of 2024, covering five police districts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cleveland Police Districts |publisher=City of Cleveland |url=https://www.clevelandohio.gov/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/PublicSafety/Police/Police_Districts |date=2019 |access-date=August 7, 2019 }}</ref> The district system was introduced in the 1930s by Cleveland Public Safety Director [[Eliot Ness]] (of the [[Untouchables (law enforcement)|Untouchables]]), who later [[1947 Cleveland mayoral election|ran for mayor of Cleveland]] in 1947.<ref name="CLEpolice" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Eliot Ness and his role in Cleveland history |publisher=Cleveland Police Museum |url=https://www.clevelandpolicemuseum.org/collections/eliot-ness/ |access-date=August 7, 2019 }}</ref> The [[chief of police|Chief of Police]] is Dorothy A. Todd.<ref>{{cite web |title=Division of Police |publisher=City of Cleveland |url=https://www.clevelandohio.gov/city-hall/departments/public-safety/divisions/police |access-date=March 17, 2024 }}</ref> In addition, the [[Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office]] is based in Downtown Cleveland at the [[Justice Center Complex]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sheriff.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/About-Us.aspx |title=About Us |website=[[Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office]] |access-date=May 24, 2023 }}</ref>

=== Fire department ===
{{main|Cleveland Division of Fire}}
Cleveland is served by the [[firefighter]]s of the Cleveland Division of Fire, established in 1863.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Cleveland Fire Department |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History |publisher=Case Western Reserve University |url=https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cleveland-fire-department |access-date=August 21, 2019 |date=May 22, 2018 }}</ref> The fire department operates out of 22 active fire stations throughout the city in five battalions. Each Battalion is commanded by a Battalion Chief, who reports to an on-duty Assistant Chief.<ref>{{cite web |title=Division of Fire |publisher=City of Cleveland |url=https://www.clevelandohio.gov/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/PublicSafety/Fire |access-date=August 21, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cleveland Fire Stations |publisher=City of Cleveland |url=https://www.clevelandohio.gov/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/PublicSafety/Fire/Fire_Stations |access-date=August 21, 2019 }}</ref>

The Division of Fire operates a [[fire apparatus]] fleet of twenty-two engine companies, eight ladder companies, three tower companies, two task force [[rescue squad]] companies, hazardous materials ("haz-mat") unit, and numerous other special, support, and reserve units. The [[fire chief|Chief of Department]] is Anthony Luke.<ref>{{cite news |title=Anthony P. Luke sworn in as Cleveland's new fire chief |publisher=WKYC |url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cleveland/anthony-p-luke-sworn-in-cleveland-new-fire-chief/95-bc4fe544-7772-44ba-8854-5bb6240d4ae1 |date=November 1, 2022 |access-date=May 19, 2023 }}</ref>

=== Emergency medical services ===
{{main|Cleveland EMS}}
Cleveland EMS is operated by the city as its own municipal third-service EMS division. Cleveland EMS is the primary provider of [[Advanced Life Support]] and ambulance transport within the city of Cleveland, while Cleveland Fire assists by providing fire response medical care.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cleveland EMS History |publisher=Cleveland Association of Rescue Employees |url=https://www.care1975.com/history/ |access-date=January 22, 2019 }}</ref> Although a merger between the fire and EMS departments was proposed in the past, the idea was subsequently abandoned.<ref>{{cite news |last=Atassi |first=Leila |title=Cuyahoga Prosecutor says former Cleveland Fire Chief Paul Stubbs ignored payroll abuses; Mayor has remained steadfast in defense |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |url=https://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2014/04/cuyahoga_prosecutor_says_forme.html |access-date=January 22, 2019 |date=April 13, 2014 }}</ref>

=== Military ===
Cleveland serves as headquarters to [[Coast Guard District 9]] and is responsible for all [[U.S. Coast Guard]] operations on the five Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, and surrounding states accumulating 6,700 miles of shoreline and 1,500 miles of international shoreline with Canada. It reports up through the [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]]. Station Cleveland Harbor, located in North Coast Harbor, has a responsibility covering about 550 square miles of the federally navigable waters of Lake Erie, including the Cuyahoga and [[Rocky River (Ohio)|Rocky]] rivers, as well as a number of their tributaries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.atlanticarea.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/District-9/Ninth-District-Units/Sector-Buffalo/Units/Cleveland-Harbor/ |title=Station Cleveland Harbor |website=USCG District 9 |access-date=January 31, 2023 }}</ref>