Latest news with #OvertheRhine
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
'Unacceptable rise in crime' across downtown neighborhoods prompts city leaders to respond
Drones, a roving task force and a new police recruiting class are just a few of the initiatives Cincinnati city leaders announced to combat what Mayor Aftab Pureval called an "unacceptable rise in crime." Pureval, Police Chief Teresa Theetge and other city leaders acknowledged the unease over crime among Cincinnati residents, particularly in neighborhoods in the urban core, during a news conference June 24. The recent killing of Over-the-Rhine gym owner Patrick Heringer and a spate of shootings have left citizens on edge. "Too many residents are becoming victims right now," Pureval said. "Too many neighbors are concerned about the safety of their streets." The latest crime data provided by the city shows an uptick in crime of nearly all types citywide when compared with data from this time last year, particularly in Over-the-Rhine and Downtown: In Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, there have been nearly double the number of burglaries, breaking-and-entering incidents and thefts from cars so far this year. Citywide, there have been 34 reported homicides, compared to 30 at this time last year. More than a third of those killings have happened in the past month. In Over-the-Rhine alone, there have been five homicides this year, three of which have been in the past month. Reported shootings remain down across the city. Cincinnati police report 110 people have been shot so far this year, compared with 142 at this point in 2024. Theetge pointed toward repeat-offending, unsupervised teens and preteens as a significant source of the increase in crime but said there is no indication that it is gang or group-related activity. Theetge and other city leaders called for parents to be held accountable and said they are exploring options for how to do so but did not elaborate further. The chief also said in recent weeks she had sent extra officers to patrol the northern section of Over-the-Rhine, near Liberty Street, where Heringer was stabbed in his home, for community visibility. She has since pulled those officers but announced Tuesday that she is forming a "roving task force," consisting of approximately 30 officers responding to problem areas across the city. It's one of the ways city leaders explained how they're responding to the uptick in crime, in addition to using new technologies and leveraging partnerships with the community. Pureval, who is up for reelection this fall, has prioritized additional programs as a way to combat youth crime. Earlier this year, city leaders announced expanded youth events like skating on the riverfront, open pools and late-night activities at recreation centers to curb violence. Theetge said the department is trying out a drone program to use the small, remotely-piloted devices as first responders for certain calls for service and to help out in other situations. When a call comes in about a traffic jam, a fleeing vehicle or a wanted person, Theetge said a drone could be fired up within seconds to relay information to officers and possibly save them from making a trip out to a scene. A drone was used this weekend at The Banks when a crowd of kids became disorderly during the Juneteenth block party. The chief played footage of the drone hovering above the crowd with a spotlight and said commands were given through the drone for the crowd to disperse. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office announced in January the county was launching a similar program, joining other major departments nationwide. By the end of 2025, Theetge said she hopes to have about 90% of the city covered by drones. Theetge said Cincinnati police are working with business owners across the city to get live-feed access to their surveillance cameras for investigations, as well as how to make it more difficult for criminals to commit crimes at their businesses. At no charge, Theetge said neighborhood liaison officers will give businesses and residents an assessment on how to make it harder for criminals to break in or deter them from doing so altogether. Some of those assessments will be done on parking lots and garages by the new roving task force, meeting with the owners to do safety assessments and then sharing those grades publicly. "If somebody's coming downtown for an event, a Reds game, a concert, dinner, you will be able to tell where is the safest place to park my car is," Theetge said. Recruiting new officers has been a long-running issue for Cincinnati police. Theetge said a newly approved "lateral police class" will help get staffing where it needs to be. Approved June 18 in next year's city budget are three new classes of at least 150 officers. In addition to two rookie classes of 100 officers, a lateral class of 50 officers will recruit people with experience from neighboring states such as Kentucky and Indiana or elsewhere. Then, Cincinnati police will compare the requirements from their state's police academy curriculum with Ohio's and fill in the gaps. The abbreviated police academy will still cover city of Cincinnati-specific protocols but in a shorter time frame than if they were starting from scratch, Theetge said. This story was updated to reflect the correct total number of officers added to the city's budget. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati leaders address crime wave with new drones, task force
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
7 shootings reported in Greater Cincinnati area during first weekend of summer
Several shootings were reported in Greater Cincinnati this weekend, including at least one that resulted in a death. Cincinnati police said there were four shootings between Saturday and early Monday. There were also shootings reported outside the city in Forest Park, Reading and Mount Orab. A recent spike in shootings, including the high profile killing of an Over-the-Rhine businessman, have put a spotlight on violent crime in the region. Earlier this month, there were three shootings in a single night leaving two dead and three more wounded. Shootings within the city limits of Cincinnati are down about 28% compared to last year. However, some neighborhoods are seeing a spike in crime. For example, overall crime in Over-the-Rhine is up 46% compared to last year. Police said a man in his 20s was shot around 3 p.m. June 21. The shooting happened in the 800 block of Oak Street. The victim is expected to survive. A 27-year-old man was taken to the hospital after a shooting in downtown Cincinnati the morning of June 22, according to Cincinnati police Lt. Jonathan Cunningham. The man was shot in the leg at Third and Walnut streets, and his injuries were not life-threatening. That same morning, a 38-year-old man was shot in the 800 block of Walnut Street in Downtown. He is also expected to survive. A 26-year-old woman was injured after being shot in the thigh and hit with shrapnel in her shoulder during a brawl in downtown Cincinnati early June 23, according to a report from Enquirer media partner Fox19. Police said a large fight broke out in the 600 block of Walnut Street around 3 a.m. All of the shootings in Cincinnati are under investigation. No information about possible suspects has been released and no arrests have been reported. A 34-year-old man was found shot in the chest in the parking lot of a restaurant in Forest Park on June 22, according to police. Officers were called to Park Place Restaurant just before 4 p.m. and found the victim, officials said. Police are searching for a white vehicle in connection with the the shooting. Investigators said the victim is expected to survive. The incident is under investigation. No arrests have been reported. Local12 reported that a woman was shot in the leg in Reading early June 22. Officers found the victim near the corner of Reading Road and Ridge Avenue at around 4 a.m. The woman is expected to survive. Police said they are still searching for the suspect. Gary Teetor, 39, was fatally shot in Mount Orab in Brown County on June 22 at a residence on Brookshire Way. Ryan Reinecke, 20, has been arrested in connection with the shooting, Fox19 reported. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati region sees at least 7 shootings over the weekend
