Potential ordinance would require crowd control outside Cleveland businesses to reduce crime

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Cleveland City Councilmember Richard Starr is looking at creating an ordinance that would require crowd control outside local businesses at night.

This is in response to the increase of violence when large groups gather late at night.

Stores that operate 24 hours a day are sometimes forced to close when crowds outside cause a disturbance.

Starr’s ordinance would ban that activity.

“We want to make sure these establishments are safe, secure,” Starr said. “If we’re going to be operating, we have to operate in a precaution of safety, which is first priority.”

Gunfire erupted early Sunday around 1:00 AM on East 55 Street and Woodland near a crowd that gathered.

A bullet shattered the window of a Cleveland Police cruiser, with the officers still in the car. No one was hurt.

Anthony Taylor, who has lived in the Central neighborhood his entire life, said he and his neighbors want more patrols in the area to curb the crime.

“They need to put more cops out,” Taylor said. “They need to have more police circling around.”

The ordinance is in the early stages, but Starr wants to find a solution so neighbors feel more safe in their community.

“We understand that we have a police shortage, but we need to figure out through policy and different research what can we do to better support businesses and establishments in our neighborhood,” Starr said.

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