Committee reviews impaired-driving grant authorization and presses city on speeding, mutual aid and pursuit policies

The Cleveland City Council Safety Committee reviewed an ordinance authorizing the director of public safety to apply for state grants for impaired-driving enforcement and selective traffic enforcement programs and used the hearing to question the administration about neighborhood speeding, interagency enforcement partnerships, pursuit policies and drone use.

The ordinance (listed in committee as 90950-2025) authorizes the director to apply for and accept grant funds from the Ohio Department of Public Safety for fiscal year 2026 impaired-driving enforcement and selective traffic enforcement programs. The item had been approved by public-safety and finance directors and had no legal objection noted by the law department, according to committee paperwork.

Committee members repeatedly raised speeding and red-light running as the most frequent public-safety complaints from residents. The chair told the panel: “At virtually every meeting I attend… The number 1 issue that's being confronted, I'm being confronted with the public safety is speeding in our neighborhoods, speeding through our commercial districts, through school zones… I see it myself.” That council concern led members to press staff for specifics about enforcement strategy, detail schedules with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OHP) and data on traffic enforcement activity.

Police staff described multiple enforcement approaches. They said the department maintains district traffic units, schedules special enforcement details in partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and runs department-led details; the transcript recorded that the OHP participates in scheduled traffic enforcement details and that at least one OHP detail was scheduled for the week following the committee meeting. The chief noted the city conducts traffic enforcement details in response to hotspots identified by district commanders working with the traffic commissioner.

Council members requested specific data and policy documents. Councilman Casey asked for the number of vehicle/ticketing (VTT) citations issued by the division over the last 10 years and for current pursuit policies; members asked staff to provide the Cleveland Police pursuit policy and the sheriff’s pursuit policy and to note the last review dates and owners of those policies so council can compare protocols across jurisdictions. Committee members emphasized that outside agencies (state, county or federal) follow their own pursuit policies when they operate in the city.

Council members also raised automated enforcement and cameras. One member noted a charter prohibition against traffic cameras for automated enforcement and said state-level restrictions further limit local options.

The committee discussed use of drones for police and fire operations; staff said certified operators have used drones on incidents but full program implementation is ongoing and that a presentation on drone operations will be scheduled for the committee.

Committee members discussed a high-profile downtown enforcement incident and urged the administration to provide a written summary of actions taken and the legal/policy basis for those actions so council could compare enforcement in downtown areas with enforcement in neighborhoods.

No formal committee vote on the grant application was recorded in the transcript excerpt; committee discussion indicates staff will provide the requested enforcement data, pursuit policies, policy review dates, and a future presentation on drones. Council members also expressed opposition to bringing National Guard forces to Cleveland without a formal request from city leadership.