Violent Crime Consortium Keeps Public Safety at Forefront

CLEVELAND – The Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium (NOVCC) recently brought together more than 100 regional law enforcement participants, representing more than 20 agencies, to take part in a region-wide initiative to discuss public safety. The annual event is hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio. The District covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to more than 5.7 million people.

The violent crime consortium was established in 2007 through a Department of Justice grant to specifically address violent crime issues in eight Northern Ohio cities: Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Elyria, Lorain, Mansfield, Toledo, and Youngstown.

As the current top federal law enforcement officer for the District, Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik provided welcoming remarks on the importance of the consortium’s work to keep crime off the streets.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Salas Novak, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

“The Consortium’s purpose is to prevent and reduce violent crime through the use of data-driven and evidence-based technologies,” said Skutnik. “NOVCC enhances our member agencies through skills training on accepted best practices and emerging technologies.”

Subject-matter experts addressed several key topics at this year’s gathering including the importance of inter-agency data sharing and information to combat crime, promising law enforcement practices, and modern policing in the digital age.

The USAO would like to acknowledge and thank the following for attending and participating in this year’s event:

Event speakers representing

• Fordham University
• Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Violence Solutions
• Blacksburg, Virginia Police Department
• Brookhaven, Georgia Police Department
• Research Innovations, Inc.

Law enforcement agencies represented

• Akron Police Department
• Avon Police Department
• The University of Akron Police Department
• Barberton Police Department
• Berea Police Department
• Canton Police Department
• Cleveland Division of Police
• Cuyahoga County Sheriff
• Elyria Police Department
• Lorain Police Department
• Mansfield Police Department
• Maple Heights Police Department
• North Royalton Police Department
• Put-in-Bay Police Department
• Sandusky Police Department
• Toledo Police Department
• Warren Police Department
• Westlake Police Department
• Youngstown Police Department

State agencies

• Ohio Adult Parole Authority
• Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
• Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services

Nonprofit agency

• Partnership for a Safer Cleveland

Federal agencies

• ATF-Cleveland
• FBI-Cleveland
• U.S. Marshals Service-Cleveland
• U.S. Department of Justice-Office of Legal Policy

For more information about the consortium, contact Thomas McCartney at 216-622-3955.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Salas Novak, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio.