CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland police found contraband in about 25% of searches during traffic stops last year, according to a new report by the team that oversees Cleveland police reform.

The report, by consent decree monitor Christine Cole, says that “hit rates” — the percentage of searches that recover evidence — dropped from 33.8% in 2023.

Cole’s team didn’t make any definitive conclusions about why that happened but said the data “may indicate a decline in search efficiency or a broader use of searches in stops less likely to yield evidence of criminal activity.”

Cleveland police searched 1,072 cars during traffic stops in 2025, the report said.

Investigatory stop hit rates rose modestly, from 43.1% to 45.3%. Investigatory stops, where drivers are not allowed to leave, require prob

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