Police fail to solve seven in 10 violent crimes in Ohio, report finds

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Seven in 10 violent crimes reported to police in Ohio were not solved in 2022, marking one of the highest unsolved rates in the country, a new study found. 

Researchers from the nonprofit Council of State Governments Justice Center analyzed data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting System, to see which states had the highest rates of unsolved homicides, aggravated assaults, robberies and rapes. 

A case is considered solved when an arrest has been made or the perpetrator has been identified, if they have died or cannot be arrested for a reason outside of law enforcement's control.

The organization found that nationally, 63% of reported violent crimes in the U.S. went unsolved in 2022, meaning in a year, no one was arrested or prosecuted in over 800,000 cases. 47% of homicides, 59% of aggravated assaults, 74% of robberies and 77% of rapes were not solved. 

“Failing to solve violent crime means less justice for victims and their families, less trust in the justice system’s ability to protect and respond, and a greater risk of retaliatory violence,” the study said. 

Although the crime rate in Ohio was 23% lower than the national average in 2022, Ohio was the state with the third-highest rate of unsolved violent crimes at 71%, according to the study. Specifically, 86% of rapes, 79% of robberies, 65% of aggravated assaults and 58% of homicides reported in 2022 were not solved.

The Columbus Division of Police had 4,082 violent crimes reported in 2022 and had an 85% unsolved rate, the nonprofit stated. The police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Columbus police followed closely behind the Akron and Cleveland police departments, which both had an unsolved rate of 87% in 2022, according to the study. The unsolved rates for other police departments in Ohio included Toledo (70%), Cincinnati (51%), Dayton (64%), Canton (66%) and Springfield (82%). 

There are numerous reasons why a crime may go unsolved or become a cold case. Limited time and excessive workloads for investigators, budgetary constraints and the original investigator no longer being involved in the case due to things like relocation or retirement can affect whether a crime is solved, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. 

Additionally, case-specific factors such as a lack of physical evidence or uncooperative witnesses or family members of victims can result in a case going cold. 

Florida topped the list as the state with the highest rate of violent crimes that went unsolved in 2022 (82%) followed by New Mexico (75%). Vermont (27%), Delaware (32%) and Idaho (41%) were the states with the lowest percentage of violent crimes that were not solved.