CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team is now getting action on a problem we exposed where Cleveland police collect clues in major crimes.
We’ve shown you, time and again, a police evidence lot has been overgrown with big trees and bushes.
Now, we’ve noticed clean-up going on, and it could even affect justice.
Since 2023, we’ve seen tree limbs, big limbs and wild bushes taking over a critical Cleveland police lot used for collecting evidence. Investigators hold vehicles there in the most serious cases, but so many of those vehicles became swallowed up by a jungle of brush.
Now, after all this time, Drone FOX has captured signs of improvement. Significant, since even bits of evidence in those vehicles could help solve criminal cases.
Last year, the Cleveland police union spoke out about the conditions, especially since police take vehicles there to document evidence that could help to convict people.
“It’s very critical that the cars there maintain some kind of integrity, chain of custody, to show that nothing is tampered with or would infringe on a court hearing,” Union President Andy Gasiewski said.
More than two years ago, city hall sent us a statement outlining action. Action to cut all those overgrown bushes and trees, fix a fence and put a new roof on a garage. Yet, even weeks ago when Sky FOX flew over, it didn’t look like anything had been cut.
Cleveland police had also told us plans were in the works for action.
We’ve asked, what took so long? That, though, is still not clear.
For this story, police sent us a statement.
“The Division of Police remains focused on its core responsibility of ensuring that evidence stored at Lot 2 is properly collected, preserved and secured. Overgrown brush and vegetation in the area have not impacted operational effectiveness,” Sgt. Freddy Diaz wrote. “That said, the Division is actively addressing landscape and facility maintenance at Lot 2. We have prioritized the needs and several improvements and repairs have been completed. Some of which include enhancing surveillance systems, building repairs and regular landscaping maintenance.”
We’ve also shown you, some cars held in the lot have been there for so long that police had no records immediately available to tell us why those vehicles were there.
The I-Team will keep asking questions about that.
But, we finally see results about the overgrown brush surrounding and even covering the vehicles.
Ed Gallek
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