Police Seize Illegal Guns

At a news conference Tuesday, Cleveland Police Commander Gary Gingell talked about efforts to get illegal guns off of the city's streets. The news conference highlighted the guns seized through the federally funded Violence and Gun Reduction Interdiction Program, or V-GRIP. The program includes law enforcement agencies from the city, county, state and federal government. (Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland has plenty to celebrate these days: A viable lakefront plan and bid for a national political convention, Johnny Football and an inexplicably popular outdoor chandelier at PlayhouseSquare.

So it's easy to forget about the other Cleveland – the one plagued by gangs, guns and graffiti. All three of these issues are related and received attention this past week.

I'm not highlighting them just to be a downer. We should take notice because our leaders -- believe it or not -- continue to battle these problems so the rest of us can enjoy all the good stuff. Understanding these issues a bit more could go a long way in helping us evaluate our officials, the demands we put on them and how we spend our political capital. In other words, we should figure out how to better support those doing the dirty work.

In the last week, I tried to learn more by attending a forum on youth violence in Cleveland's central neighborhood, by listening to local and federal officials talk about gangs and guns at news conference and by asking city officials about graffiti.

Here are a few pages from my notebook. By no means are my notes meant to represent a comprehensive look. But they should be enough to start a conversation.

Gangs: We continue to have a gang problem. Our gangs identify with neighborhoods, or public housing projects. Some have regional affiliations with other gangs. Among those on the radar are the Unwin Boys in the city's Central neighborhood. The flashpoint for violence among gangs here isn't necessarily traced to protecting their drugs, or any other source of wealth. Violence is often triggered by Facebook insults, arguments over women or associations.

The city foolishly eliminated a police unit dedicated to dealing with gangs a decade ago. But the city has since rebuilt the unit thanks, in part, to federal resources. The city works closely with county, state and federal law enforcement agencies when dealing with the larger and regional gangs or related syndicates.

Guns: Gang members continue to get their hands on guns by stealing them and buying them from unscrupulous sellers. They are using them at an alarming rate. Officials don't have time to indulge Second Amendment showoffs like the pair that recently strutted through Medina's Public Square with a handgun, rifle and AR-15 in plain sight to supposedly teach the public about the right to openly carry weapons. (I'd like to see the pair do that at East 55th Street and Kinsman Avenue, where people don't play show and tell.)

The city's battle against guns has been hampered by state lawmakers adopting the viewpoint of rural gun advocates. A few years ago, state lawmakers passed a law prohibiting any city from regulating guns. The law stripped Cleveland of its gun-control powers, most notably the cops' power to confiscate assault weapons bought at gun shows and driven into the city limits.

This week, law enforcement officials on the front lines held a news conference to show us they are still fighting. They displayed tables covered with weapons seized during a recent three-month operation focused on illegal guns in two police districts on the city's East Side. The operation was coordinated through the federally funded Violence Gun Reduction and Interdiction Program, or V-GRIP, which includes many local and federal agencies. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said this and other special programs – such as the city's Gang Impact Squad– need long-term support. He said the best approach is a steady and consistent one for years to come.

Graffiti: Two Cleveland City Council members made a rather sobering discovery recently during a discussion on youth violence: Young people who live among the spray-painted gang insignia actually view graffiti as an important road map for navigating away from dangerous turf.

Fortunately, neither the councilmen nor anybody else thinks this is a good reason for keeping graffiti around. Eliminating gangs is a better idea.

Blaine Griffin, the city's director of community relations, told me not all graffiti is gang related. He pointed to graffiti that appeared recently in the city's Woodland Hills neighborhood. The graffiti honored Rayshawn Armstrong, who was murdered in April in the city (possibly from the result of mistaken identity). The 25-year-old Armstrong was a neighborhood griot, or storyteller, and was considered a positive influence.

It should be obvious from my notes that these issues are getting attention from officials, whether you notice or not. But if you want to continue to enjoy all that is great in the city, throw a little more support behind those keeping these problems from ruining your good time. Here are a few ways: Let lawmakers know you support these crime-fighting programs; support gun legislation that empowers police in cities; and give a little time to mentoring programs that help keep youth out of trouble.