Cleveland Police Lack Stop Sticks Amidst Street Takeover Crisis, Delayed by Federal Monitoring

The FOX 8 I-Team recently investigated why Cleveland police do not use a widely adopted tool to combat crime: stop sticks, which are commonly used by law enforcement to puncture the tires of fleeing vehicles. These tools could help officers during street takeovers, a growing issue in the city.

In a recent street takeover incident, crowds and stunt drivers overwhelmed city streets and even the innerbelt, with some performing dangerous stunts around police cars. However, Cleveland police lack stop sticks to disable vehicles, a tool employed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and many other departments when suspects attempt to flee.

Cleveland Police Union President Andy Gasiewski emphasized the potential benefit of stop sticks, saying, “With the proper training, we would definitely want to use the new tool. It could help us disable vehicles without engaging in a pursuit or even when we aren’t pursuing.”

More than a decade ago, Cleveland police faced questions about their use of stop sticks after a lengthy chase and a major incident. At that time, one police district had stop sticks, but they were stored away in a closet. Fast forward to today, and the issue has resurfaced, especially after the recent street takeovers. During a recent city council hearing, council members raised questions about the absence of stop sticks in light of the recent events.

Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd addressed the concern, stating, “The Division of Police does not currently use spike strips. We’ve discussed this and are trying to determine the best way to combat these incidents.”

However, even if Cleveland police wanted to implement stop sticks, it would not be a simple process. The city remains under federal monitoring, which means that any decision to use stop sticks would require approval. Sgt. Freddy Diaz confirmed via email that the proposal would need to be reviewed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and policy changes would also have to pass through the Community Police Commission (CPC).

As a result, acquiring and implementing stop sticks for Cleveland police could take considerable time. In the meantime, the department is exploring other methods to tackle street takeovers. A task force is actively investigating the series of takeovers that occurred at the end of last month.