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Outdoor Basketball Committee and with partners at MetroHealth. She expressed confidence that <br /> Lakewood can rise to the occasion. <br /> Chief Kaucheck provided details of the two shootings at Madison Park. Two individuals <br /> involved in the March I Ph shooting have been arrested and a third is being investigated. Two <br /> individuals in the April shooting have been arrested. The Chief credited officers' excellent <br /> investigative work for solving these crimes. <br /> Chairperson Neff asked if LPD will specifically increase foot patrols at Madison Park and if <br /> there was a timeframe for the return of the basketball hoops. <br /> Chief Kaucheck responded that LPD has increased foot patrols and vehicle patrols at the park. <br /> He explained that he had recommended temporary removal of the hoops on Friday based on <br /> investigative findings. He declined to provide a timeline for the reinstalment of the hoops but <br /> said that it would not be very long. <br /> Councilmember Litten noted that several councilmembers, including himself have put forward <br /> public safety suggestions in the form of letters on the General meeting docket. He expressed <br /> confidence that these suggestions will be addressed in due time. He asked Chief Kaucheck for an <br /> update on LPD staffing and any unfilled LPD positions. <br /> Chief Kaucheck responded that the department is currently staffed with 93 of 94 officers. He <br /> acknowledged that 9 officers are currently either out on FMLA or on light duty; 3 officers are at <br /> the Academy; 7 are being on-boarded and can not be left alone. Given these limitations, he stated <br /> that it is not possible to fill vacant Neighborhood Police Officer positions at this time. He noted <br /> that the two DARE officers will have more time to dedicate to NPO duties once school lets out. <br /> He further added that one NPO position will be filled August 15''. <br /> Councilmember Bullock applauded the engagement of Lakewood citizens around the issue of <br /> safety and the response of the City administration. He expressed eagerness to learn the full set of <br /> facts around these cases. He committed to continuing conversations on these issues in <br /> committees and in face-to-face meetings. <br /> Councilmember Rader acknowledged that members of the BIPOC community (Black, <br /> Indigenous, Persons of Color) have historically had different experiences with the police than <br /> white communities and that the City needs to make sure that BIPOC populations feel safe with <br /> any changes in policing. He reported that Cleveland will be opening/re-opening its outdoor <br /> basketball soon, if it has not already, and that Lakewood should re-open the Madison court as <br /> soon as possible. <br /> President O'Malley remarked that one of the reasons that these recent incidents have been so <br /> newsworthy is because violent crime in Lakewood has become so rare over the past several <br /> years. He compared crime statistics from 2002 to 2019, noting a steep decline. He noted that the <br /> City must work each day to maintain safety but that we also do not want to live in an <br /> environment where there is a police officer on each corner. He remarked that the over-saturation <br /> of guns is a major factor in the increase in crime. He added that the state has unfortunately <br /> stripped the rights of municipalities to create local gun laws. He advocated for local solutions <br /> 2 <br />