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http://www.woio.com/story/17171450/warm-weather-violence-blooms-early-in-cleveland

 

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) –

Warm weather violence has bloomed in the Cleveland area, much earlier than usual.

19 Action News has found that almost every major crime is up in the Cleveland area, and warm weather could be the factor. Check out the crime stats HERE.

Gunfire downtown, a woman fatally shot looking out her window and police officers involved in two fatal shooting incidents all just several days apart.

For the year, spikes are up in homicide, rape, other non-deadly shootings, burglary and theft.

Baldwin Wallace Criminologist Dr. Theron Quist tells 19 Action News “crime tends to go up until about 85 degrees… at that point, it starts dropping down. People are maybe too irritated to be out–it affects them in that way.”

Last month, the Cleveland Police Chief called the streets safe. Saying most shootings involve people who know each other. Police blame this violence on bad decisions.

The professor says crimes that go up with weather are usually assault, burglary, rape, domestic violence and things like rioting.

Warm weather or not, it’s hard to convince Northeast Ohio residents that Cleveland is safe shooting after shooting, day after day.

Cleveland Police say they’re fighting the crime wave, trying to target guns and get more residents involved by sending police tips. All strategies for taking back your streets, no matter what the temperature is.