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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*
December 31, 2025




*MEDIA CONTACTS:
*Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957
Jill Del Greco: 614-644-0957






Governor DeWine Announces End-of-Year Results for Violent Crime Reduction Operations Across Ohio

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced that state-supported violent crime reduction operations resulted in more than 500 felony arrests in 2025. 

As part of Governor DeWine's Violent Crime Reduction Initiative, the state provided manpower and other resources to support 130 coordinated violent crime reduction operations in 23 communities this year. In total, the operations led to 521 felony arrests and the confiscation of 175 illegally possessed firearms. 

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Seized Gun [ [link removed] ]

PHOTO: Illegally possessed firearm confiscated during a violent crime reduction initiative in Cincinnati on December 30, 2025.

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The goal of the initiative is to bolster the work of local law enforcement by focusing on repeat violent offenders who are committing the most crime in their communities. By leveraging real-time crime data and intelligence collected by all partnering agencies, units can better deploy resources to areas that need them most.

“The progress Ohio has seen this year is a direct reflection of the dedication of our law enforcement professionals and the effective use of state resources,” said Governor DeWine. “By strategically focusing on high-crime areas and repeat violent offenders, we are systematically ending the cycles of violence that threaten our communities.”

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Map of Violent Crime Reduction Locations [ [link removed] ]
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Communities that received support in 2025 included Akron, Bethel Township, Buckeye Lake, Bucyrus, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Georgetown, German Township, Lancaster, Lima, Marion, Middletown, Piqua, Springfield, Toledo, Warren, Wilmington, Youngstown, Zanesville, and Oregon. 

State support was provided by the following agencies within the Ohio Department of Public Safety: 

*Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP): *In addition to helping local law enforcement with focused patrols in high-crime areas, OSHP’s Aviation Unit supports these initiatives from the sky, eliminating the need for dangerous traffic pursuits.  In situations where suspects flee, the aviation team guides on-ground officers to their location and flags any evidence, such as illegally possessed firearms, that suspects have attempted to discard.

For example, in early December, OSHP’s Aviation Unit assisted the Dayton Police Department in apprehending a 45-year-old suspect who fled from a traffic stop in a stolen car. Instead of initiating a high-speed pursuit, an OSHP helicopter followed the fleeing vehicle from the air. As seen in the video below, those in the helicopter directed law enforcement to the exact location of the suspect, where he was taken into custody. 

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Helicopter image of suspect fleeing police [ [link removed] ]
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*Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC)*: ONIC criminal intelligence analysts are working in partnership with local law enforcement to pinpoint the high-crime areas where violent crime reduction initiatives would make the most impact. Teams are also gathering intelligence to locate wanted individuals who are known to be dangerous, repeat violent offenders.

*Ohio Investigative Unit (OIU)*: OIU is increasing its enforcement of Ohio's alcohol laws in high-crime areas. Agents focus on taking enforcement action on those who illegally carry weapons and commit other crimes on liquor establishment premises.  

*Ohio Adult Parole Authority (APA)*: Parole officers are responsible for supervising adult felony offenders who have completed their prison sentences and are released from custody on a period of post-release control. The APA supports local law enforcement by putting added focus on locating offenders who have absconded from supervision and are in violation of post-release control conditions. APA officers also work in collaboration with partners to increase unannounced visits with former inmates who are at a high risk of reoffending. 

The Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Initiative is rooted in data that identifies the small percentage of individuals responsible for most violent crime. According to a study by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, less than 1% of adults in Ohio are charged with a violent crime or weapons offense in any given year, most of whom are repeat offenders who do not legally have the right to possess a gun.

The study also found that approximately 70% of offenders arrested for a violent crime in Ohio from 1974 to 2023 had been arrested more than once, and around half of all adults arrested on weapons violations had previously been arrested five times or more. 

The Ohio Department of Public Safety maintains a website that tracks these operations and the following legal process. To review enforcement statistics, track offender accountability, and learn more about Ohio's commitment to making communities safer, visit publicsafety.ohio.gov/vci [ [link removed] ].

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