According to a year-end report released Tuesday, the city’s Department of Public Safety cited **338 felony arrests and 300 firearms seized between October and December**, marking a strong finish for the initiative launched earlier this fall to crack down on violent crime and repeat offenders.
Mayor Justin Bibb praised the results as a sign that targeted enforcement and community collaboration are working. “These numbers demonstrate that our officers and community partners are making real progress in making Cleveland safer,” Bibb said in a statement.
Operation RISE (which stands for *Reducing crime through Intelligence, Strategy, and Enforcement*) pools resources from multiple city departments and regional law enforcement agencies. The initiative focuses on hotspot areas, repeat violent offenders, and illegal gun trafficking.
Alongside the enforcement push, the city is addressing a long-standing challenge — police recruitment. The same report highlighted a **50 percent pay increase for new police recruits**, a move officials say will help attract and retain officers amid nationwide shortages in law enforcement staffing.
Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said the pay boost reflects the city’s commitment to rebuild its ranks while maintaining high standards for training and community engagement. “We’re investing in the people who keep our neighborhoods safe,” Todd said. “By offering competitive pay, we’re giving new recruits a reason to start their careers here — and stay.”
City officials say the work is far from finished but point to the momentum as evidence that the city’s public safety strategy is gaining ground. Plans for 2026 include expanded youth outreach programs, technology upgrades, and continued collaboration with federal task forces targeting organized crime.
“We’ve proven that when we combine intelligence-driven policing with real investment in our people, results follow,” Bibb added. “That’s what Operation RISE is all about.”