I was at Taste on Sunday night and I can confirm that there was a HUGE crowd of teenagers moving en masse throughout downtown.  It was really strange and chaotic, and the crowd snaked through the streets literally taking over wherever they went by.  Three shots were fired, people were mugged, I saw multiple people getting loaded into stretchers at Walnut and Court...it was insane.  This type of shit seems to happen relatively frequently in Cincinnati, and it's quite ridiculous.

 

As opposed to where?  It's a big city with a big crowd for this event.  These things unfortunately happen.  While no violence is good, in the grand scheme of things, this could have been much, much worse.  Just this weekend Cleveland had something like 2 killed and six shot in a big crowd.  I'd prefer that there was no crime at all, and people should be upset about it.  But I hope we don't blow this out of proportion and give ammunition to people who are upset with the city's momentum.

 

700wlw and the local TV news are running wild with it to sell fear for ratings. 700wlw  spent over 4 hours talking about how unsafe the taste of Cincinnati was. People on 700wlw and Facebook commenters were encouraging everyone to bring CCW down there to 'take out the domestic terrorists'

 

Approximately 550000 people were there.  99.991% were safe. 

Ok........ Who listens to 700wlw?????????? I'm 27 so maybe listeners are of a different generation( I'm a millennial and I haven't met a single person my age that listens to 700wlw) but anyway I will say this I do travel a lot and crime in MANY other cities is far higher and far more aggressive than in Cincinnati particularly when it comes to gang violence, also please accept the fact that some people love to do what ever they can to trash the city whenever they can. Those people are very upset that their suburban home investments that are not gonna be paid off for the next 20 years isn't looking all that great now. In addition City living is simply White HOT right now it's just a fact here and around the world, people who was interested in leaving the city's core are mostly gone now the bleeding has stopped a radio station can talk for 20 hours a day trashing the city but it's just not gonna change the facts on the ground that this city is GOLD.

I've actually been listening to WLW a lot lately. I think it's amusing. But I easily see why it is such a problem to have. Some people can't see through the smokescreen.

Ok........ Who listens to 700wlw?????????? I'm 27 so maybe listeners are of a different generation( I'm a millennial and I haven't met a single person my age that listens to 700wlw)

Look at the advertisers

Geritol, Polident, Grecian Formula, Viagra

That's who listens

I was at Taste on Sunday night and I can confirm that there was a HUGE crowd of teenagers moving en masse throughout downtown.  It was really strange and chaotic, and the crowd snaked through the streets literally taking over wherever they went by.  Three shots were fired, people were mugged, I saw multiple people getting loaded into stretchers at Walnut and Court...it was insane.  This type of shit seems to happen relatively frequently in Cincinnati, and it's quite ridiculous.

 

As opposed to where?  It's a big city with a big crowd for this event.  These things unfortunately happen.  While no violence is good, in the grand scheme of things, this could have been much, much worse.  Just this weekend Cleveland had something like 2 killed and six shot in a big crowd.  I'd prefer that there was no crime at all, and people should be upset about it.  But I hope we don't blow this out of proportion and give ammunition to people who are upset with the city's momentum. 

 

I would say as opposed to a lot of places.  Large groups of teens roaming through a city's CBD causing chaos is NOT par for the course in urban areas.  The scene I witnessed reminded me of this video of teens going crazy at a mall in Brooklyn.  Only difference is, this crowd was much larger and they caused more random violence in their path.  The fact that I can remember several of these type of situations happening in Cincinnati in recent years is ridiculous.  This didn't happen in some neighborhood or around a night club or park...it was all through downtown.  In fact, until AjKnee posted, I didn't even know the group made it up to OTR.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/video-teens-brawl-kings-plaza-mall-brooklyn-article-1.1559582

 

This fall on 2 occasions I drove by the Clifton Heights Shell station fairly late in the evening only to find dozens if not hundreds of teens hanging out and being rowdy.  So many people were there that a car literally could not have even turned in to get gas.  On both occasions, by the time I was driving back the other direction the area was littered with cops, kids fleeing on foot...again, general chaos.  I guess it comes down to kids having no where to be and nothing to do, but it's unfortunate they choose such high profile, public places to meet up.

 

 

I'm not doubting some of the stuff you are saying but I highly doubt 3 shots were fired into the taste of Cincinnati crowd.  That would have been national news

 

 

The shots weren't fired AT Taste.  I think they were fired around 7th and Race? My group of friends had just split for the night and two of my friends were going back to their place at 9th and Race.  5 minutes after we left the Square my friend texted me that 3 shots had been fired and the crowd was either running towards where they were shot or away from it.  One of the friends I was with checked some Twitter feed with up to the minute news (forget the account), and it confirmed that three shots had been fired.

 

I'm not trying to say this is a reason to avoid coming downtown.  I live very close to downtown and am down there all the time and I have no intentions of changing that.  It does get tiresome to continually have to deal with these ghetto stories whenever it gets warm out and something's going on Downtown, though.

I listen to 700 wlw at times just because I think it is amusing.  I swear they have fake callers call in, either that or the people that call in are just plumb idiots.

 

Honestly though, I hope they catch some of these "kids" that are jumping and assaulting people.  These "kids" need to be tried as adults.  Where are the parents?

 

I live down in the core and there is no mass hysteria, people are still going to restaurants, etc.  The city will be fine and it is only getting better.  We just need more and more development, more people living and having eyes on the street.  That said, there are certain areas where people need to travel in groups late at night that are on the fringes of the entertainment areas.  Just be smart and don't wonder off alone and drunk, or alone period in certain areas late at night.  Travel in groups and in areas with good lighting, be aware of your surroundings, walk with a purpose, and you will be fine.

I have been working in Downtown Cincinnati for years and years at many of the best hotels and restaurants. Foot traffic has only grown in those years, crime has been a non factor for our local guest and for out of town guest. Keep in mind many of the out of town guest that visit particularly business travelers are from far larger markets that have violence that would keep 700wlw talking for months at a time.

Large groups of black assaulting white people, including women, with knock out game tactics is not new. It happens all over the USA.

It has made it's way to Chicago river north Gold Coast. It is a real problem. Cincy is no less safe than any other urban center, but you better

dam well be aware of your surroundings. I left Nati's on 7th around 10:30 on Saturday and walked right over to Fountain Sq. got a beer and

just people watched. Way too many punks downtown over the weekend. Finished my beer and walked back to Covington.

 

Sloan on wlw said this morning that Deter's son could have easily been killed if not for a black women intervening after he was

knocked out. He did spend the night in the hospital. If you don't think this is a problem take a quick glance at a book called

"white girl bleed alot"

 

Since i moved in Jan., I am in Downtown just about every weekend and I am very aware of my surroundings. So far so good.

I was at Taste on Sunday night and I can confirm that there was a HUGE crowd of teenagers moving en masse throughout downtown.  It was really strange and chaotic, and the crowd snaked through the streets literally taking over wherever they went by.  Three shots were fired, people were mugged, I saw multiple people getting loaded into stretchers at Walnut and Court...it was insane.  This type of shit seems to happen relatively frequently in Cincinnati, and it's quite ridiculous.

 

As opposed to where?  It's a big city with a big crowd for this event.  These things unfortunately happen.  While no violence is good, in the grand scheme of things, this could have been much, much worse.  Just this weekend Cleveland had something like 2 killed and six shot in a big crowd.  I'd prefer that there was no crime at all, and people should be upset about it.  But I hope we don't blow this out of proportion and give ammunition to people who are upset with the city's momentum. 

 

I would say as opposed to a lot of places.  Large groups of teens roaming through a city's CBD causing chaos is NOT par for the course in urban areas.  The scene I witnessed reminded me of this video of teens going crazy at a mall in Brooklyn.  Only difference is, this crowd was much larger and they caused more random violence in their path.  The fact that I can remember several of these type of situations happening in Cincinnati in recent years is ridiculous.  This didn't happen in some neighborhood or around a night club or park...it was all through downtown.  In fact, until AjKnee posted, I didn't even know the group made it up to OTR.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/video-teens-brawl-kings-plaza-mall-brooklyn-article-1.1559582

 

This fall on 2 occasions I drove by the Clifton Heights Shell station fairly late in the evening only to find dozens if not hundreds of teens hanging out and being rowdy.  So many people were there that a car literally could not have even turned in to get gas.  On both occasions, by the time I was driving back the other direction the area was littered with cops, kids fleeing on foot...again, general chaos.  I guess it comes down to kids having no where to be and nothing to do, but it's unfortunate they choose such high profile, public places to meet up.

 

 

I'm not doubting some of the stuff you are saying but I highly doubt 3 shots were fired into the taste of Cincinnati crowd.  That would have been national news

 

 

The shots weren't fired AT Taste.  I think they were fired around 7th and Race? My group of friends had just split for the night and two of my friends were going back to their place at 9th and Race.  5 minutes after we left the Square my friend texted me that 3 shots had been fired and the crowd was either running towards where they were shot or away from it.  One of the friends I was with checked some Twitter feed with up to the minute news (forget the account), and it confirmed that three shots had been fired.

 

I'm not trying to say this is a reason to avoid coming downtown.  I live very close to downtown and am down there all the time and I have no intentions of changing that.  It does get tiresome to continually have to deal with these ghetto stories whenever it gets warm out and something's going on Downtown, though.

 

Oh ok I misread your post.  Apologies

Ok........ Who listens to 700wlw?????????? I'm 27 so maybe listeners are of a different generation( I'm a millennial and I haven't met a single person my age that listens to 700wlw)

Look at the advertisers

Geritol, Polident, Grecian Formula, Viagra

That's who listens

 

Bedsides the personal care items and prescription drugs most of ads are aimed at people with poor critical thinking skills.

As for the "throw the book" at these guys sentiment, that's totally wrong.  I was a borderline juvenile delinquent and I simply grew out of stealing and vandalism in the same way a child doesn't make a conscious decision to stop playing with a certain toy.  It's all emotion and emotions evolve very quickly in the teenage mind.  So yes what I'm saying is that not only is punishment through the juvenile courts not much of a deterrent, it's potentially worse than doing nothing.  I hate to think about what would have happened if I had spent 6 months at age 15 in some ridiculous scared straight boot camp with a bunch of guys much worse than myself instead of at the very positive environment at St. Xavier High School. 

 

Okay, so every few years there's some incident where we hear about a few dozen black teenagers causing trouble at a public event.  Are these exact same guys still coming back 10 and 20 years later doing the same thing?  Of course not, and most of those guys who were causing trouble when they were 15 never were taken to court for it and didn't spend any time in 2020.  They simply grew out of it. 

 

^ Americans get way too emotional about punishment. We need to take a step back and read the statistics. What works? What doesn't? Forget about revenge or even justice -- it doesn't help.

 

In the case where empirical studies would support throwing the book at someone, I'd be all for it.

Get these kids WoW accounts like their suburban counterparts have.

Question.... I believe Newport on the levee has a teen curfew at 7 or 8pm on weekends is something like that possible for the central business district??? Is that too much to handle for Cincinnati Police? Would it be too expensive to do? I know these teens are not spending much money if any so the business community wouldn't mind. what do you all think?

I must have missed the assault and vandalism stage of adolescence.  It'd be one thing if there were a bunch of teens just hanging out, maybe smoking weed or something else relatively harmless.  That is what teens grow out of.  If you're inclined to rob and beat men and women who are just going about their business, I don't think that's something you just grow out of.  I know i'll take heat for saying this, but where are all these kids parents?  North College Hill just passed an ordinance where legal action can be taken against the guardians of youths who get in trouble (http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/2014/05/30/north-college-hill-police-holding-parents-accountable/9756523/).  Could be something worth exploring.

Cincinnati currently has a curfew of 10 pm - 5 am.

 

Anything before 10 pm is ridiculous in my opinion.

I knew several boys when I was that age hanging around the trailer park who would have loved to do something similar but couldn't find enough other people to do it with them. They would get so happy any time an adult became angry.

Meh. I just played in the woods and creeks behind my house and got myself all muddy and dirty before dinner, or rode my bike around the city. I must have missed out :/

Being poor can be very, very boring in this country. We don't have the daily free outdoor entertainment that you see in Europe. In the U.S. you're pretty much stuck in front of a TV if you're not spending money.

As for the "throw the book" at these guys sentiment, that's totally wrong.  I was a borderline juvenile delinquent and I simply grew out of stealing and vandalism in the same way a child doesn't make a conscious decision to stop playing with a certain toy.  It's all emotion and emotions evolve very quickly in the teenage mind.  So yes what I'm saying is that not only is punishment through the juvenile courts not much of a deterrent, it's potentially worse than doing nothing.  I hate to think about what would have happened if I had spent 6 months at age 15 in some ridiculous scared straight boot camp with a bunch of guys much worse than myself instead of at the very positive environment at St. Xavier High School. 

 

Okay, so every few years there's some incident where we hear about a few dozen black teenagers causing trouble at a public event.  Are these exact same guys still coming back 10 and 20 years later doing the same thing?  Of course not, and most of those guys who were causing trouble when they were 15 never were taken to court for it and didn't spend any time in 2020.  They simply grew out of it. 

 

 

The big difference between typical juvenile delinquency and what these kids are doing is the assault and battery.  I did a bit of vandalism, stealing, and trespassing (still haven't grown out of that one) as a kid, even got in some fights with other kids, but physically beating a stranger is way outside the realm of normal behavior. That's when kids need to go from slap on the wrist to actual punishment and rehabilitation. You can't punch out random people on the street, and a normal person would never even think of it.

Being poor can be very, very boring in this country. We don't have the daily free outdoor entertainment that you see in Europe. In the U.S. you're pretty much stuck in front of a TV if you're not spending money.

 

I'm sorry, but that seems like bullshit to me.  Cincinnati has amazing parks, free concerts on Fountain Square and Washington Park almost every night, a free art museum, amazing and accessible public library system.  All Reds games are shown on the huge TV on Fountain Square, we have big street parties and festivals all summer...there are a LOT of free activities in this city.  Of course if your idea of fun is punching random strangers on the street, very little of our free assets would be appealing, I imagine.

Being poor can be very, very boring in this country. We don't have the daily free outdoor entertainment that you see in Europe. In the U.S. you're pretty much stuck in front of a TV if you're not spending money.

 

This is bizarre - Is being bored seriously being advanced as a justification for attacking strangers?

 

Does the public have an affirmative duty to entertain people or else they will attack?

No but it's a contributing factor.

^  Which does not matter under the rule of law.

I'm sorry, but that seems like bullshit to me.  Cincinnati has amazing parks, free concerts on Fountain Square and Washington Park almost every night, a free art museum, amazing and accessible public library system.  All Reds games are shown on the huge TV on Fountain Square, we have big street parties and festivals all summer...there are a LOT of free activities in this city.  Of course if your idea of fun is punching random strangers on the street, very little of our free assets would be appealing, I imagine.

 

That's all great if you can actually GET to those places.  But still, what's a teenager going to do at Washington Park?  I don't think an evening of smooth jazz is really going to be a big draw for the layabout thug types.  Many of these activities are really just too boring to anyone raised on TV and/or the internet.  Lots of teens do hang out at the library, but they swamp the computers, and I don't think intellectual enrichment is a high priority for most. 

You're being bored is you're own problem

There's crap all over town

 

The libraries have a ton of stuff

http://programs.cincinnatilibrary.org/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp

 

The recreation dept has a lot of stuff but they don't communicayr it well

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/recreation/

 

Elementz

http://elementz.org/wp/

 

In Northside there's Wordplay

http://wordplaycincy.org/

Happen Inc

http://www.happeninc.com/

 

Ride a $#&! bike

Volunteer at the church

Sing doo wop on the streetcorner

Draw

Read

Play music

Make comic books

Garden

Start a coven

 

these idiots are not penniless

I feel like there needs to be more organized sports, somehow get more kids involved.  Teach discipline, get them working with classmates, get them tired/worn out, and then they won't have the desire to do these things.

Does the public have an affirmative duty to entertain people or else they will attack?

 

To me, the better question is whether providing activities costs less than policing/punishing crime (or any other social ill) that happens without them. Even if the latter is a "public duty" and the former is not. We should be concerned with what works best, not what makes us feel better or conforms to some ideology of what is or isn't a duty.

I was at Taste on Sunday night and I can confirm that there was a HUGE crowd of teenagers moving en masse throughout downtown.  It was really strange and chaotic, and the crowd snaked through the streets literally taking over wherever they went by.  Three shots were fired, people were mugged, I saw multiple people getting loaded into stretchers at Walnut and Court...it was insane.  This type of shit seems to happen relatively frequently in Cincinnati, and it's quite ridiculous.

 

As opposed to where?  It's a big city with a big crowd for this event.  These things unfortunately happen.  While no violence is good, in the grand scheme of things, this could have been much, much worse.  Just this weekend Cleveland had something like 2 killed and six shot in a big crowd.  I'd prefer that there was no crime at all, and people should be upset about it.  But I hope we don't blow this out of proportion and give ammunition to people who are upset with the city's momentum.

 

Why the need to throw Cleveland under the bus?  A death is still a death, but it was one person killed in a neighborhood known for crime at a big party that got out of hand.  Not near or in downtown Cleveland.

I was at Taste on Sunday night and I can confirm that there was a HUGE crowd of teenagers moving en masse throughout downtown.  It was really strange and chaotic, and the crowd snaked through the streets literally taking over wherever they went by.  Three shots were fired, people were mugged, I saw multiple people getting loaded into stretchers at Walnut and Court...it was insane.  This type of shit seems to happen relatively frequently in Cincinnati, and it's quite ridiculous.

 

As opposed to where?  It's a big city with a big crowd for this event.  These things unfortunately happen.  While no violence is good, in the grand scheme of things, this could have been much, much worse.  Just this weekend Cleveland had something like 2 killed and six shot in a big crowd.  I'd prefer that there was no crime at all, and people should be upset about it.  But I hope we don't blow this out of proportion and give ammunition to people who are upset with the city's momentum.

 

Why the need to throw Cleveland under the bus?  A death is still a death, but it was one person killed in a neighborhood known for crime at a big party that got out of hand.  Not near or in downtown Cleveland.

 

Not throwing Cleveland under the bus--it was the most recent instance that came to mind of a crowd that got out of hand and had a death and several people shot, so I mentioned it purely by comparison sake (i.e., the issue with Taste was a crowd that got out of hand and had violence).  I don't see what the location has to do with it.

 

Also, why so defensive?  My point is simply that it could have been much, much worse, not that Cleveland has some kind of problem. 

I was at Taste on Sunday night and I can confirm that there was a HUGE crowd of teenagers moving en masse throughout downtown.  It was really strange and chaotic, and the crowd snaked through the streets literally taking over wherever they went by.  Three shots were fired, people were mugged, I saw multiple people getting loaded into stretchers at Walnut and Court...it was insane.  This type of shit seems to happen relatively frequently in Cincinnati, and it's quite ridiculous.

 

As opposed to where?  It's a big city with a big crowd for this event.  These things unfortunately happen.  While no violence is good, in the grand scheme of things, this could have been much, much worse.  Just this weekend Cleveland had something like 2 killed and six shot in a big crowd.  I'd prefer that there was no crime at all, and people should be upset about it.  But I hope we don't blow this out of proportion and give ammunition to people who are upset with the city's momentum.

 

Why the need to throw Cleveland under the bus?  A death is still a death, but it was one person killed in a neighborhood known for crime at a big party that got out of hand.  Not near or in downtown Cleveland.

 

Not throwing Cleveland under the bus--it was the most recent instance that came to mind of a crowd that got out of hand and had a death and several people shot, so I mentioned it purely by comparison sake (i.e., the issue with Taste was a crowd that got out of hand and had violence).  I don't see what the location has to do with it.

 

Also, why so defensive?  My point is simply that it could have been much, much worse, not that Cleveland has some kind of problem.

 

Location has a lot to do with it.  It would be much different if it happened downtown near areas where people from all over come to and enjoy. Can you imagine the media attention that would receive?  Where it happened in Cleveland was an area known for crime, not the case in Cincy during a major festival that attracts over half a million.  I mean look at this Cincinnati instance.  Now the media is going to make downtown out to be some bad place to be.  The real thing they should preach is street smartness no matter where you are.  Now downtown Cincinnati is going to be bad mouthed by all kinds of people no matter how great a place it is to live and work in.

 

I'm not being defensive, just matter of fact. 

I don't think saying I threw Cleveland "under the bus" was matter of fact, but to each his own.  My point was that the violence could indeed have been much worse, and that overreacting to it only adds fuel to the fire for city opponents.  Sorry if the Cleveland example offended you. 

 

Here's hoping that the story doesn't have much negative effect.  I actually think it will go by the wayside fairly quickly, whenever the next juicy story pops up. 

I don't think saying I threw Cleveland "under the bus" was matter of fact, but to each his own.  My point was that the violence could indeed have been much worse, and that overreacting to it only adds fuel to the fire for city opponents.  Sorry if the Cleveland example offended you. 

 

Here's hoping that the story doesn't have much negative effect.  I actually think it will go by the wayside fairly quickly, whenever the next juicy story pops up.

 

For crying out loud, it was a cliche saying.  It's an Internet forum, let's not look too far into the bus comment.  Nor was I offended by your comment.  I made an observation and felt compelled to reply.

 

I hope it doesn't become an issue because Cincinnati has a spectacular downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.  But I know how suburban Cincinnati is, and how little known the city is to them.  More ignorant than anything I guess.  But this is the type of story that fuels their fears.

Let's try to keep this discussion on topic. No more discussing criminals' inner homosexuality, throwing things under buses, Cleveland, misogyny, or that mass murderer in California.

 

Thanks.

Group of teenage boys walking up Hamilton walked past a guy walking south & one of he teens punched him, said nothing & walked on.

poop's kinda psychotic.

A shooting on Chase in bucolic Northside is being looked at as self defense, shooters charges may be dropped.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/2014/06/08/man-dead-fatal-shooting-northside/10208127/

According to Cincinnati.com the city and cincinnati police is considering a festival curfew for teens I think this is great.

Not exactly Cincinnati but that goofy sheriff in Butler County has put together a tourism video for heroin dealers

Yeah that Sheriff is always campaigning. 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/2014/07/07/man-shot-twice-downtown/12319599/

 

Fight turns to murder when one combatant pulls a gun in Piatt Park area.

 

On the plus side, I consider it a sign of progress when there are not histrionics accompanying every crime downtown.  On the downside, 40 homicides already is more than I thought we were at.  Puts it on pace for high 70s I guess?  I assume the pace will slow down in the fall/winter, but still way too many. 

There has been a huge, huge uptick in gun violence as well as general assaults downtown in the last few weeks.  From a couple of people in the know I've talked to, they claim the media is being leaned on to downplay the recent issues.  I've lived on the border of downtown/OTR for over eight years and this is the worst I've seen in all that time.  There appears to be no leadership in addressing the issue.  Instead there appears to be a concerted effort to whitewash the problem and address it by giving people safety tips.  Safety tips are fine and dandy, but where is the effort to actually resolve the problem?  Is Nero going to stop playing his fiddle for a bit and actually lead?

Huh.  I haven't noticed any increase in violence in downtown or OTR (and the stats I have seen certainly indicate that it is trending downward).  Have you spoken with the police about it?  Any idea what the issue is? 

^^Also, this has to be the first time I can recall the locla media doing anything to downplay any violence downtown--usually it's quite the opposite with the TV and print media in Cincy. 

Huh.  I haven't noticed any increase in violence in downtown or OTR (and the stats I have seen certainly indicate that it is trending downward).  Have you spoken with the police about it?  Any idea what the issue is? 

 

Well, there were over a dozen assaults during Taste of Cincinnati, there were running gun battles for three consecutive days from May 30th-June 1st, there is a serial armed robber on the loose that has been involved in at least four robberies from May 27th-June 21st (male black, 20, 5'10", 150 lbs with beard displaying black handgun), there was this murder in broad daylight, and various other incidents that are too numerous to list here.  Given that you are unaware of these incidents validates what I've been noticing is that too much is going unreported and/or whitewashed (through pressure from some groups/individuals) in the local media.

 

The police are very much aware of the issues and they are responding by utilizing CIRV and providing safety tips.  However, clearly more needs to be done.  The Mayor and organizations vested in trying to bring more people downtown are trying to misrepresent this as a minor issue hoping it will just go away.  You would think John Cranley would have learned from his disastrous handling of the Timothy Thomas debacle that these things need to be handled with transparency and with some immediacy.

I was aware of the Taste of Cincinnati issues.  When I say I haven't noticed an increase in violence in downtown or OTR, I am speaking as someone who walks between both places 2x a day, every single day of the week.  Not suggesting I am poring over police reports. 

Also, looking at the crime stats from the city itself, it doesn't look like there has been a huge uptick in violent crime downtown and in OTR in the last few weeks.  Violent crime in OTR (at least according to the police statistics) was way down in June, and it was up 8% in the CBD--an increase from 12 incidents in May to 13 in June. 

 

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/crime-statistics/

 

I'm normally all about statistics over anecdotal evidence, but there is something solely lacking in those stats.

The raw statistics don't seem to jive with what the police are saying and the severity of the individual crimes I've listed.

When have you heard of running gun battles going on downtown much less for three consecutive days!?

I'm guessing things like running gun battles do not get listed on that report at all unless there is a victim.

Either that or the bullet holes in some apartment buildings (some of them for the first time in their history) are considered property crimes.

I'm also guessing many of the Taste of Cincinnati assaults did not end with an official report leaving them off the statistics.

There is a reason why Captain Broxterman has made it a point to speak about "Public Safety Tips for Residents" at the Downtown Residents Council meeting tonight.

We'll just have to agree to disagree that violent Downtown has actually gotten worse.

 

STARS Report 6/1/2014 - 6/28/2014

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/linkservid/182F3466-BC5A-A75B-38A323CB49E349B4/showMeta/0/

The area between 7th and Central Parkway is simply too dark and underpopulated.  There are very few residents and next to nothing open past 9-5 business hours in the area, so it leads to not nearly enough eyes on the street to encourage safety.  I'm hoping the streetcar will make this area more appealing for developers, and we will see an influx of residential units and businesses.  Really, you would think Kroger would at least want their HQ neighborhood to be safe, if not vibrant.  Court St. can and should be so much more than it currently is.

I live at 12th & race & work downtown. Have been here for 4 years. I certainly haven't noticed a massive out of the ordinary increase this year.

 

Taste was bad, but honestly, taste is bad every year. There are often small fights & robberies surrounding it. I never go. And, saying the media is whitewashing it is false. There were at least a dozen news reports on the taste violence. I overheard a suburbanite talking about how dangerous downtown was now and how "joe deters son isn't even safe". Doesn't sound like hiding the crime to me.

 

The homicide yesterday was of someone with a sizable rap sheet.  It's very tragic, and that it was so public is very troublesome, but it's also a fact that being involved in violent criminal activity dramatically reduces your life expectancy.

 

Having lived here for a number of years it's a constant ebb & flow, but the macro direction is slowly less crime each year. If anything, I think downtown south of 7th & OTR have gotten so much better that the crime has moved to the one gap, 7th to CP as a space to hide. It's not that it's more crime, just all the previously scattered crime has moved to that area. Remember last summer when half a dozen people got jumped on main & sycamore around 2 am over  two weeks? It was crazy & bad. Now that area is a bit safer.

The area between 7th and Central Parkway is simply too dark and underpopulated.  There are very few residents and next to nothing open past 9-5 business hours in the area, so it leads to not nearly enough eyes on the street to encourage safety.  I'm hoping the streetcar will make this area more appealing for developers, and we will see an influx of residential units and businesses.  Really, you would think Kroger would at least want their HQ neighborhood to be safe, if not vibrant.  Court St. can and should be so much more than it currently is.

 

Is the 7th and Race area really that dark?  Besides, this murder happened in broad daylight.  Also, the Piatt Park area is host to the highest concentrated area of residents in the Central Business District.  There are many apartment buildings along the park not to mention the Garfield Suites hotel is actually on that street corner.  I'm guessing that's why they had so many witnesses to the shooting.

 

I'm a big streetcar supporter, but let's not count on it to be a primary driver to solve our crime problems (albeit it certainly should help in some small way).  Besides, this intersection like much of downtown isn't on the route.