COLUMBUS, Ohio — While Gov. Mike DeWine is on board with partnerships that are aimed at reducing violent crime, he made clear Wednesday he won’t deploy National Guard troops to Ohio cities for law enforcement.
The better approach, DeWine said as he spoke with news reporters, is to address violent crime through efforts like the one announced Tuesday in Cincinnati when the governor joined state, local and federal officials in the Queen City to announce two new law enforcement partnerships aimed at reducing violent crime in the city through enhanced cooperation.
“The facts are that it’s a very, very small percentage of the criminal element in society that commits 80 to 90% of the violent crime,” DeWine said.
“And so, what we’re doing in Cincinnati, what we’ve done in Cleveland, what we’ve done in Dayton and other cities, is targeted. Police officers are uniquely trained to deal with crime, and to deal particularly with violent crime.”
The governor said that while there are circumstances where the National Guard’s help has been utilized, such as aiding with vaccinations during the coronavirus pandemic, the task of monitoring violent crime in particular is the job of other officials.
“I do not anticipate, for example, as governor of the state of Ohio, deploying the National Guard into any of our cities to deal with violent crime. It doesn’t mean there might be something come up where we need the Guard,” DeWine said.
“But to focus on violent crime, that is really the police officers, highway patrol, our liquor control people, our parole people. These are the people who focus on the violent crime. That’s what their background is, and that’s what their training is, and they’re the best people to deal with that.”
DeWine’s remarks come as President Trump has deployed National Guard soldiers in Washington, including troops from Ohio sent by DeWine.
Those Ohio troops will continue supporting the District of Columbia National Guard until Nov. 30 at the request of the Secretary of the Army, DeWine announced late Wednesday.
Trump has also threatened to send National Guard soldiers to other major cities, including Chicago.
“Washington is a different situation, because the president of the United States is the person who, ultimately, whether people like it or not, is the person who has the ultimate responsibility. It’s the federal city. It’s our U.S. capital. That’s the distinction I make,” DeWine said.
When asked if he would hypothetically deploy the Guard to Cleveland at the behest of Trump, the governor said that he has had no conversations with the president about it.
“Well, I’ve had no discussion with the president about it. … The best way to deal with this is through trained police officers."
DeWine’s remarks on Wednesday followed his announcement Tuesday to utilize law enforcement partnerships to address violent crime in Cincinnati.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol will begin working directly with the Cincinnati Police Department on “data-driven” crime reduction initiatives targeting high-crime areas, DeWine said Tuesday. The partnership will also use intelligence from Cincinnati’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center to focus on hot-spot areas with the highest crime rates. OSHP’s Aviation Unit will provide aerial support for ground operations, including criminal suspect searches and vehicle pursuit assistance.
DeWine explained that additional support and technology has been utilized in other cities in the past, including Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Youngstown and Toledo.
In May, for example, DeWine authorized the guard’s Cyber Reserve Force to assist with a cyberattack investigation at Cleveland Municipal Court. The team is made up of trained members who assist communities with cyberattacks.
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