Euclid Police Department receives state grant to buy body cameras department-wide

Police Brutality

Governor Mike DeWine’s office awarded nearly 5 million dollars in grant funds to police departments throughout the state. The Euclid Police Department is a recipient of $120,000 of those funds.

Right now, Euclid police have an optional body camera policy. Officers have to buy the cameras on their own, a price that can average out to about $1,000.

Out of the about 90 staff members within the department, only about a dozen have body cameras.

“Officers don’t want to be forced into such a large expense on their own part. They are quite expensive and the maintenance and the storage fees are expensive, but the city decided they’d make it a priority and they’d fund this new project,” said Capt. Mitch Houser.

Houser said, by and large, body cameras are something the officers support.

In September of 2021, the Euclid City Council approved the purchasing of body cameras and updating dash cameras for the entire department. It’s a project that would cost more than $400,000.

Ohio ranked among worst for traffic safety as fatal crashes skyrocket

Auto Accidents

Ohio ranks among the 11 worst states in the country when it comes to traffic safety laws, according to a new report issued Tuesday.

Advocates for Highway and Public Safety gave the state a “red” rating, meaning its laws are some of the most lax in the country.

The nonprofit is funded in part by insurance companies but also includes law enforcement and public health advocates.

President Cathy Chase says Ohio has a lot of work to do.

“Ohio is what we call dangerously red and we are definitely pushing for all of the red states to move up,” Chase told Local 12. “We are at a time in surface transportation history when motor vehicle crash fatalities are surging.”

Indeed, the low ranking comes as traffic

Pharmacy chains face their first trial in U.S. opioid litigation

Opioids

Four large pharmacy chains are set to face their first trial over the deadly U.S. opioid epidemic, creating new pressure to reach settlements with state and local governments who accuse them of contributing to the public health crisis.

The Ohio counties of Lake and Trumbull allege that oversight failures at pharmacies run by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, CVS Health Corp, Walmart Inc and Giant Eagle Inc led to excessive amounts of opioid pills in their communities.

Lawyers for the counties and companies are set to deliver opening statements on Monday to a federal jury in Cleveland, where thousands of similar lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, drug distributors and pharmacies are pending.

More than 3,300 cases have been brought largely by state and local governments seeking to hold the companies responsible for an opioid abuse epidemic that U.S. government data shows led to nearly 500,000 overdose deaths from 1999 to 2019.

Rite Aid settles bellwether opioid case with Ohio counties

Opioids

Rite Aid Corp affiliates have settled claims by two Ohio counties that it contributed to the opioid addiction epidemic, just over a month before the case was set to go to trial.

The pharmacy chain operator and Lake and Trumbull counties disclosed the settlement in a motion filed Wednesday in federal court in Cleveland, Ohio, to sever Rite Aid from the case. They did not reveal terms of the deal, which must be approved by Lake County Commissioners and Trumbull County Commissioners.

U.S. District Judge Dan Polster granted the motion on Thursday.