'So where were they?': Clevelanders waiting over 2 hours for police

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CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has found people in yet another Cleveland neighborhood put on hold when they called 911, and then, they reportedly had to wait hours for police.

This time, the delays revolved around incidents in the middle of the night. It left folks living  along Lakeview Road on Cleveland’s east side upset and demanding better emergency services.

“I pay taxes, I did not get what I am paying for,” said Lanea Haru.

She told the Fox 8 I-Team large crowds gathered in the parking lot across the street from her home early Sunday morning. And, she became concerned about loud, speeding cars, and even gunshots.

“The large crowds were there early Saturday morning, too,” Haru said. “There had to be like 100 people. Doing donuts and driving crazy.”

Police tell us on Saturday morning, they got the calls around midnight and responded a short time later. That time, officers were able to get the crowd to leave. There are no reports of any arrests.

But, Haru, and others living on the street, say Sunday morning was a different story. They said they saw a gun, and shots were fired. Numerous 911 calls were made, but it took more than two hours for police to arrive.

“I heard the gunshots,” said Kenny Jones, who lives two houses away from Haru and right across the street from the grocery store parking lot. “It went pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow.”

Jones said he was afraid to get out of his bed.

And, Haru said, “I was upset.” She added, “I was scared. I saw a woman firing a gun. I heard gunshots.”

A recording shows, when she called 911, she first heard a dispatch recording saying all operators were busy. And, records show, police did not get officers to that scene for more than two-and-a-half hours. By the time police arrived, the crowd was gone.

A police spokesperson said, the department is investigating why it took more than two hours for police officers to arrive.

We reviewed notes recorded by dispatchers in the 911 center. After the gunshots, the call became listed as a top priority. And, the notes also show that area had been flagged because of trouble before. So, from the start, a police car should have been sent right away.

Those living on Lakeview Road say they appreciate the hard work by the police officers and do not blame the officers for the delay. They say more officers are needed to handle calls for help.

The Cleveland Department of Police is short-staffed by hundreds of officers. We’ve, repeatedly, exposed delays in police response. In one case, a woman waited three days.

The I-Team has tried to talk to the Mayor many times about crime and concerns that residents have voiced. But, the Mayor has refused to talk to us.

“You’ve gotta have visibility and you’ve gotta have response time,” said Council Public Safety Chairman Mike Polensek. He keeps wondering why the city is not doing more to hire additional officers.

“This is unacceptable you have gotta have visibility,”Polensek said. “It is not about after the fact. You’ve gotta stop crime and chaos from beginning in the first place.”

The mayor has boasted that crime overall has gone down but those living on Lakeview Road are not convinced.

“Crime is going up,” said Jones. “That’s what it looks like to me.”

And Haru agreed.

“It is not down,” Haru said. “They’re lying.”

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Ed Gallek

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