Cuyahoga County Cuts Backlog of Active Warrants By 22%, Verifies More Than 90% of Registered Sex Offenders

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Media contacts:      
John O'Brien: (216) 698-3396 or jfobrien@cuyahogacounty.us  
Rich Luchette: (216) 797-0931 or rluchette@cuyahogacounty.us 


CLEVELAND - Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald and Sheriff Frank Bova today outlined the success of several recent initiatives to enhance public safety in Cuyahoga County.

"I applaud Sheriff Frank Bova and the thousands of brave men and women in our law enforcement community for their relentless work to keep Cuyahoga County residents safe over the past year," said FitzGerald. "Over the past year, they have helped improve public safety by working relentlessly to better monitor sex offenders and significantly reduce the number of outstanding warrants. I am looking forward to continuing our work together in 2014."

Over the past year, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department has taken numerous strides to keep residents safe. More than 90% of all three tiers of sex offenders were verified in 2013 - compared to 70% in 2012. In addition, the number of active warrants decreased by 22% from the previous year as officials worked to close 12,500 active felony warrants that in some cases dated as far back as the 1960s.

"Although we are proud of the improvements made during 2013, all of us recognize the work that remains to be done," added Sheriff Bova. "The Sheriff's Department will continue building on the work of the past year and focus on maximizing the effectiveness of the services we provide. I am proud to stand with County Executive Ed FitzGerald in this ongoing effort."

In addition, some other recent successes include:
  • Facilitated greater Deputy Sheriff involvement, assisting other law enforcement agencies and governments in Cuyahoga County, including augmenting municipal police departments. Three Deputy Sheriffs were lead investigators in the Ariel Castro case and the Sheriff's Department assisted in securing Seymour Avenue during the investigation. Separately, the office also provided support during the arrest of Michael Madison, and a Sheriff's Department Deputy served as a lead investigator in the Elias Acevedo case.
  • Launched Drug Drop Box Program while raising community awareness of the program benefits and locations through distribution of leaflets, pamphlets and media partnerships; partnered with CVS, Drug Mart, Rite Aid and Walgreens for pamphlet distribution and working on getting other pharmacies involved. Through weighing the pharmaceuticals collected, Drug Drop Box has proven to be successful in removing harmful drugs from our community and our environment. The program collected 2,285 pounds of prescription drugs from April through October of last year.
  • Established a main hub for Missing Persons in Cuyahoga County, hired Tanisha Knighton to serve in the new position of Missing Persons Liaison, enhanced training for impact unit members who assist on missing persons cases, and began the Missing Person television program, which airs on Friday nights on Channel 3.
  • Initiated a graduation ceremony for GED graduates in the County Jail to help reduce recidivism. 


  
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