Press Release: Doug Merritt Named Executive Director of the Partnership for a Safer Cleveland
safercleveland
March 15, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2026
CLEVELAND, OH — The Board of Directors of the Partnership for a Safer Cleveland has unanimously confirmed Doug Merritt as the organization’s Executive Director, affirming his long-term leadership of Cleveland’s trusted public safety intermediary.
Merritt assumed the Interim Executive Director role in July 2025 following the retirement of Michael Walker, who led the organization for more than three decades. Since that transition, Merritt has guided the Partnership to strategic clarity, strengthened community collaboration, and renewed institutional investment.
Doug has provided steady, forward-looking leadership during a critical moment for public safety in Greater Cleveland,” said Judge Ronald B. Adrine (ret.), Board Chair of the Partnership. “His ability to convene partners, elevate community voice, and align strategy across systems has positioned the Partnership for its next era of impact.”
Under Merritt’s leadership, the Partnership has sharpened its focus on strengthening Cleveland’s public safety ecosystem — aligning nearly 400 safety-related organizations, including violence prevention groups, youth-serving organizations, behavioral health providers, law enforcement agencies, and community-based partners.
This work will be achieved through two strategic priorities:
1. Launch of the 2026 Community Safety Directory — a publicly accessible, continuously updated directory of violence prevention, intervention, reentry, and recovery services across Greater Cleveland. The Directory will provide a single, trusted entry point where residents can gather information, identify local safety organizations, and connect directly to prevention and support services
2. Expanded Community Convenings — formalized quarterly cross-jurisdictional sessions bringing together municipal and suburban law enforcement, county leadership, prosecutors, community practitioners, and research partners to improve data-sharing, coordinate response strategies, and build trust across systems.
For more than 40 years, the Partnership has served as Greater Cleveland’s connective tissue,” said Merritt. We exist to ensure that public safety efforts operate as a coordinated system rather than isolated strategies. Our next chapter focuses on putting that coordination into practice by launching the Community Safety Directory, strengthening real-time information sharing between law enforcement and community partners, and ensuring Cleveland residents can easily find and access the safety and prevention resources already working in their neighborhoods.”
Recent city data reflects measurable progress in major crime categories, including reductions in homicides, robberies, felonious assaults, and burglaries. Merritt emphasized that sustaining progress will require continued alignment, transparency, and long-term investment.
Cleveland is a city of neighbors and neighborhoods, where residents and community-based organizations work every day to advance safety in their communities. From affordable housing and gun violence prevention to juvenile justice intervention and economic development, Clevelanders are building a safer city together. I look forward to advancing that work in this role and supporting the partnerships that make it possible.”
A safer Cleveland is collaborative, strategic, and built by all of us. The Partnership invites philanthropic, institutional, and civic partners to join this next phase of work, supporting regional convenings, strengthening shared data infrastructure, and helping launch the Community Safety Directory by the end of 2026.
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ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP: Partnership for a Safer Cleveland is a collaborative, safety-centered intermediary advocating for an end to community violence. Leveraging over 40 years as a convener and trusted partner, we serve as a critical conduit between government, law enforcement, the legal system, nonprofits, and invested citizens to advance solutions to Greater Cleveland’s most pressing safety concerns.
Contact: Doug Merritt I Executive Director I dmerritt@safercleveland.org
