Safety Committee – May 20, 2026

The Cleveland City Council Safety Committee met on May 20, 2026, to discuss several pieces of legislation primarily focused on public safety and healthcare worker protections. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to ordinance 1380-2025, which proposes amending the city's menacing law to increase penalties for offenses against healthcare workers and includes provisions for annual public reporting of menacing incidents. Council members debated the feasibility and mechanisms for data collection and reporting, with input from representatives of major healthcare institutions such as University Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic, and Metro Health. These institutions described their internal policies and support systems for employees affected by workplace violence, including paid time off for legal proceedings. The committee also reviewed emergency ordinances authorizing the director of public safety to apply for and accept grants totaling over $900,000 for EMS, fire, and police equipment and violent crime reduction efforts. Additionally, the committee considered legislation to repeal and replace dog-related public safety ordinances in compliance with new state law, with discussion on animal control services and resident concerns. Several amendments were proposed and approved, including one requiring notification to the council clerk of cooperative purchases by the public safety department.