COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — After 31 years in law enforcement, John Born has witnessed his share of crashes, crime and human misfortune. But it hasn't made him cynical.
Ohio's retiring public safety director says the secret to his optimism is in the numbers.
As he prepares to leave office, Born says arrests for weapons violations, felonies and drugs have increased dramatically across Ohio since 2011. Violent crime is at its lowest rate since 1975. Traffic crashes and fatalities are at a near-low in recorded state history.
The 55-year-old Born credits advances in technology and analysis, collaboration across regions and agencies and a greater emphasis on safety and preparedness for that progress.
He acknowledges a few disappointments, too. That includes the Legislature's failure to act on Republican Gov. John Kasich's bipartisan gun safety recommendations.
