"A great success," is how Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther described the city's Clean and Safe Corridor initiative along Sullivant Avenue.
Columbus Police spent a week amplifying their efforts around Sullivant Avenue in the Hilltop. At the same time, the city did beautification projects including collecting trash, planting trees and filling potholes.
It was the second such effort, after the city tackled crime and trash along Parsons Avenue at the end of March. The Driving Park area on the city's east side and the Short North district will soon get the same treatment.
Ginther says the Clean and Safe Corridor initiative allows for an "all hands on deck" approach in certain areas.
"We need to do more about how our corridors feel. Do they feel safe? Do they feeling welcoming? Are there places that we want to go to shop and do business?" Ginther said.
Ginther says Sullivant Avenue was chosen based on 311 complaints and feedback from community leaders.
Columbus Police arrested more than 40 wanted people, got back seven stolen vehicles and took nine guns off the street between April 21 and April 27. Police also issued a slew of traffic and parking citations and impounded 42 vehicles.
Columbus Police also ran an "Operation Unity" targeted effort on April 30 in the Hilltop area.
Robert Sagel, deputy chief over special operations for the Columbus Division of Police, said the areas chosen for "Operation Unity" initiatives are decided by data.
"We use what are the most hot areas (that) have the most hotspots right now that we can really target violence and violent crime reduction," Sagel said.
During "Operation Unity," police arrested 69 people after seeing them commit crimes. Six arrests were for engaging in prostitution. Police also recovered two stolen vehicles and found four firearms.
As part of the cleanup effort along Sullivant Avenue, the city removed almost 18 tons of liter, planted 19 trees and spent 73 hours patching potholes.
"We're going to continue to invest looking at capital budget investments in the next couple of months with respect to lighting, cameras, to make sure we continue to build on this momentum," Ginther said.
Last week, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein filed a nuisance lawsuit against Sanctuary Night, a non-profit that aids women escaping sex trafficking and drug abuse that is also on Sullivant Avenue in Franklinton.
The nonprofit has been the subject of hundreds of complaints, including open drug use, apparent sex work and property crime. There have also been concerns about hygiene.
Ginther said the timing of that lawsuit was coincidental and did not coincide with the clean-up initiative on Sullivant Avenue. He praised Sanctuary Night's mission, but noted that the organization has to comply with city laws.
"As much as we believe in their mission and in their work, we believe everybody has to be a good neighbor," Ginther said.
