'I will not tolerate lawlessness.' Residents pack Downtown meeting with Cincinnati leaders

Yahoo

6 days ago

Over 100 people, concerned and upset with the state of crime in Downtown, packed into a community meeting Tuesday night to hear from city leaders following a recent viral fight featured on social media and an uptick in crime.
While Police Chief Teresa Theetge and City Manager Sheryl Long detailed many of the initiatives the city has taken on to try and combat crime – such as ACT for Cincy and the street crime task force − little new information was shared about the fight that has captured national attention and spawned criticism far and wide.
A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the weekend brawl, and Theetge said three more people are wanted by police.
More: 5 suspects charged, 1 911 call from crowd. What we know about the viral Cincinnati fight
The chief, who has lashed out at bystanders of the fight, bars for overserving and the media, criticized the city's portrayal on national news and how the fight has been used as political ammo.
"I will not tolerate lawlessness on the streets of Cincinnati," Theetge said during the July 29 meeting at the Cincinnati Public Library. "I owe it to you as people who live and work here to get the lawlessness under control."
The meeting was scheduled by the Downtown Residents Council before the recent viral fight in response to "months of growing concern from our residents and stakeholders regarding public safety in the Central Business District," Andrew Naab, the council's president, previously said in an emailed statement to The Enquirer.
Alongside city leaders was Steve Leeper, the president and CEO of the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., better known as 3CDC.
Leeper rebuked the state of crime Downtown but continued to indicate his support for the city's current leadership.
"We've been here 20 years. And we all recall when there was major disinvestment north of Central Parkway in Over-the-Rhine," Leeper said. "The condition then was unacceptable. The activity and crime that were going on there is reflective of what we're seeing today. It was unacceptable then and is unacceptable now."
3CDC's revitalization work has led the way through much of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine. Leeper said it's important residents continue to invest their time and money Downtown for that to continue.
Cincinnati's Downtown restaurateurs, including the CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, have called for a "real plan" to address the recent public safety concerns.
Residents question police response to crime
Residents expressed concerns about issues such as motorcycles and other cars speeding down one-way streets in Downtown during the middle of the night. Theetge said officers have to consider the risk of pursuing a suspect, like a motorcyclist, that will likely speed away from police if confronted, endangering pedestrians or other motorists.
One resident questioned the department's response to the fight during the early hours of Saturday morning, asking Theetge how many 911 calls for noise complaints or other disorder police received prior to the fight breaking out. A woman chimed in that there was at least one, indicating she had called that night.
"Downtown was hopping. It was loud. It was crowded. It was noisy," Theetge said, admitting she did not have the exact number of calls for noise complaints or disorder that night. The chief said there was only one other medical run for the fire department that evening she knew of.
The room was filled, with several people being turned away due to the capacity limit being reached. Two people were ejected after yelling out during the meeting.
City leaders explain the work they're doing, but add nothing new
The ideas touched on by city leaders are the same as what were introduced in June when they announced efforts to combat the "unacceptable rise in crime" across Cincinnati.
Some of the initiatives city officials mentioned they are still mulling to combat crime include:
Resuming enforcement of the current, or a modified version of, the city's curfew for youth under the age of 18
Cracking down on nuisance businesses like bars with repeated complaints or violations
Finding a way to "hold parents accountable," Theetge said, for their child's actions when they engage in crime Downtown
Much of the conversation centered around discussing what kind of efforts Cincinnati police have already been taking, including launching a street crime task force in early July, and providing some residents the opportunity to ask questions to Theetge, Long and Leeper.
Long spoke on the city's programming for youth, which has been a major element of the city's plan to combat juvenile crime during the summertime. Long emphasized her focus is on long-term solutions, not just "check the box exercises," but admitted that the programming only goes so far in reducing nighttime crime.
"We can provide programming all day long. But when we get to 12, one, two, three a.m. in the morning, these kids need to be home," Long said. "How many remember the saying 'nothing good happens after 11 o'clock?'"
Mayor Aftab Pureval, who joined virtually while he is out of town, acknowledged residents' concerns and briefly commented on the importance of residents' perception of crime.
"It's not lost on anyone here that for everything else that we care about as a community, none of it works unless crime is under control and residents feel safe," Pureval said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati leaders speak on Downtown crime concerns after viral fight
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