Chart 3: Percent of crimes cleared in Cleveland Heights: Jan.-Oct. (higher is better)
Clearance rates measure how many crimes are solved. A crime is cleared, by FBI definition, when at least one person has been arrested, charged and turned over for prosecution. On rarer occasions, it may be cleared through exceptional means, in which case the offender(s) has been identified and located and charges prepared, but an arrest cannot be made due to circumstances beyond police control, such as the suspect’s death or a victim’s refusal to cooperate. Recovery of property does not constitute clearance of a crime. The comparison of CHPD’s clearance rate with peer agencies (the striped bar on the chart) is based on the average clearance rate for all agencies in cities of similar size to Cleveland Heights--those with a population of 25,000-49,999. (The 2013 population of Cleveland Heights, according to the U.S. Census, is 45,394.)
Source: Cleveland Heights Police Department