November 8, 200618 yr From the 10/26/06 Enquirer: Citizens blast council on crime BY DAN KLEPAL | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER AVONDALE - Cincinnati city council members - at least those who stayed for the entire crime summit Wednesday night at the police department's District 4 auditorium - got an earful from community members about how the city is trying to reduce crime. Council members Laketa Cole, Chris Bortz, Jim Tarbell and Jeff Berding stayed for the entire session, which started as presentations on the programs that police, city council and the Avondale Community Council are engaged in to reduce crime. From there it went to a question-answer session with members of the public that, at times, got a little tense. E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061026/NEWS01/610260365/1056/COL02
November 8, 200618 yr From the 10/31/06 Enquirer: Population figures cut crime rate A little math shifts perception BY GREGORY KORTE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Cincinnati on Monday was much the same city as it was on Sunday, with the same issues most cities face - crime, education, housing. But the U.S. Census Bureau's revised estimate of the city's 2005 population - up 22,582 from the initial estimate in June - suddenly puts those challenges in a more optimistic light, city officials say. One example: the crime rate. E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/NEWS01/610310394/1056/COL02
November 8, 200618 yr A couple of other things.... East Walnut Hills will get the 10 used Pelco cameras from the city. Who knows where they'll be used, or if they'll even work. Also, the last teenager sentenced in the Halloween 2005 shooting of Charles Iles in East Price Hill got 4 years. He was the lookout and wasn't directly involved in the shooting: Cincinnati Enquirer: Last teen sentenced in shooting (11/1/06) And the last of the four douchebags who beat and killed Chris Amos Jr in OTR because he only had $10, then tried to hide and burn the body, got 24 years: Cincinnati Enquirer: Man gets 24 years for OTR homicide, Clifton robbery (11/4/06)
November 12, 200618 yr Who needs a new jail? Stuff like this is more effective and will save the city a hell of a lot of money. Man dies as pickup runs him down BY JENNIFER BAKER AND FEOSHIA HENDERSON | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER A Cincinnati pickup truck driver who ran down a suspected mugger - killing him - was just trying to protect his friend who'd been held up, the driver's mother said Saturday. Tyree Henderson, 30, of Fairborn, was run over by the truck as he tried to flee from the 1500 block of Beacon Street, police said. Police, who continued to investigate Saturday, have not said whether the driver will be charged. Under Ohio law, the use of deadly force is permitted when someone is defending his home or believes he or someone else is about to be killed or seriously hurt. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061112/NEWS01/611120349/1077/COL02
November 12, 200618 yr Too bad that pickup truck driver wasn't near the Purple People Bridge when that couple got kidnapped, robbed, and raped.
November 13, 200618 yr I'm sorry, but i don't think someone should died because they robbed someone. There is laws for this and that's prison time. Some guy just killed a 14 year old kid around the corner from my house last week. The kids was was just stealing a car that was left idle on the street and was shot in killed by a 63 year old man. Neither one of them deserved to be killed. I'm not saying what they did was right, but now these people will never be able to live out life again.
November 13, 200618 yr I'm sorry, but i don't think someone should died because they robbed someone. There is laws for this and that's prison time. Some guy just killed a 14 year old kid around the corner from my house last week. The kids was was just stealing a car that was left idle on the street and was shot in killed by a 63 year old man. Neither one of them deserved to be killed. I'm not saying what they did was right, but now these people will never be able to live out life again. In the Mt. Washington case, the perpetrator was still on the scene with a gun. Everyone in the area was presently in danger, including the victim and the guy behind the wheel. Not necessarily the case in the Kennedy Hts. car theft.
November 14, 200618 yr It said the 1500 block of Beacon Street, but didn't give any further details. I can't find a Beacon street in Millville, Hamilton, Okeana, Reily, Ross, Rossville, etc., etc...the only one I've run across in the Cincinnati area is the one in Mt. Washington - I checked google maps for Cincinnati, and then checked the auditor's site for Hamilton County. Can you point out where there's a Beacon Street near Millville? Definitely seems out of character for what I know of Mt. Washington, but that's probably just utter ignorance on my part...besides which, crime can happen anywhere...
November 14, 200618 yr The picture in the article says Mt. Washington. I'm sorry, but i don't think someone should died because they robbed someone. There is laws for this and that's prison time. Some guy just killed a 14 year old kid around the corner from my house last week. The kids was was just stealing a car that was left idle on the street and was shot in killed by a 63 year old man. Neither one of them deserved to be killed. I'm not saying what they did was right, but now these people will never be able to live out life again. I knew this would be a touchy subject for some people. I agree somewhat with the 14 year old. He was in and out of foster care and blah blah blah. I do believe he could have possibly still made something of his life. Then again, he could have just as easily been a murderer in a couple years. But in this latest case, this guy deserved what he got. If he didn't get caught by the guy in the truck, he would probably be out there tonight commiting another robbery and he could have ended up shooting someone this time. So no sympathy from me thank you. I believe the laws in which you refer to are way too soft on criminals. Their not afraid to do the crime because their not afrais to do the time. You know why? Because it's not scary. It sometimes seems that criminals have more rights than law abiding citizens. Getting arrested is not scary for them. They know they'll do a little time and they'll be back out on the streets to do the exact same thing that they were doing before they were caught. Now...getting run over by a pick-up truck for mugging and pistol-whipping someone, that's scary. Getting shot for stealing a car, that's scary. Getting shot while trying to rob a store or bank, that's scary. If I'm a rapist or a murderer or child molester and a vigilante catches me before the cops do, that's scary. I personally keep an unloaded .45 close to my bed with a loaded clip up on a bookcase ( because of my daughter ). It takes me less than 10 seconds to have that gun gun loaded and ready. So if someone breaks into my house, they've got 10 seconds to get the best of me, or their history. Whether they have a weapon or not. No criminal gets my sympathy. As far as I'm concerned, the only good criminal is a dead criminal. ( I'm not talking about petty crimes though ) I know it's a pretty strong opinion on my part and I respect your opinion Unusualfire. This may mean you are a better man than I am. I don't know. But what I do know is that the system is not working the way it is set up now. Crime keeps rising and rising and it seems the only answer anyone can think of is bigger jails and more police. The only problem is criminals aren't scared of police. But a group of organized vigilantes..that's scary. :-o
November 14, 200618 yr Can you point out where there's a Beacon Street near Millville? The only street in Butler County with a similar name is Beacon Hill, it is in Sharonville. Must be in Hamilton County.
November 14, 200618 yr ^LOL - that's exactly what I thought when I first read the story - I read "Beacon" and saw Beekman passing under I-74 in my head!
November 14, 200618 yr I tangentially know the man who was driving the truck. He is freinds with some relatives of mine, and I often see him working in his downtown store. Always seemed like a good person to me. The article above is strange in that it doesn't mention his name (Stone) but says it was a person named Danny Phillips, and I also thought it was strange how they mentioned that the woman's mother had a cigarette hanging from her mouth. There may be more to this story, not sure.
November 17, 200618 yr No charges in stolen car death BY SHARON COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER No criminal charges will be filed against a 61-year-old Kennedy Heights man who shot and killed a teen who had stolen his car, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said this morning. Deters said he declined to bring the case of Benny D. Hall Jr. before a grand jury. E-mail [email protected]
November 17, 200618 yr That's strange. So he had no chance to get out the way but he was able to aim and shoot the person?????
November 18, 200618 yr On the radio they said the man's first shot hit the tires as the car was approaching him. They didn't say how the second, fatal shot was fired, but seemed to imply it was not through the windshield, so the car may hve been passing as that shot was fired. No one seems to be reporting the details. "I think if he ever had to do it again, he wouldn't (have shot)," Conner said. "He was very remorseful, from what I am hearing."
November 22, 200618 yr Good news! Unfortunately though I doubt the other thugs in the world read the papers to learn this lesson. Man who ran over attacker cleared BY SHARON COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER A Cincinnati optometrist was protecting his life when he ran down and killed an armed man who robbed his female passenger earlier this month in Mount Washington, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said Tuesday. Tyree Henderson, 30, of Fairborn, Ohio, fired one shot and was pointing the gun at Anthony Stone when Stone accelerated and drove over Henderson. Henderson was trapped under the Ford pick-up truck and suffocated because his chest could not expand, Deters said. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061122/NEWS01/611220433/1056/COL02
November 23, 200618 yr I don't know could the robber had been aiming because the truck was aiming after him? Well at less we have one less robber off the streets.
November 23, 200618 yr My understanding is the guy pistol-whipped the lady, then the dude in the truck was following him so he wouldn't get away, so the cops could pick him up. Perhaps that was unwise, but if I saw someone get pistol-whipped, I'd definitely try to keep him from getting away scott-free. And then the robber decided he didn't want the guy following him, and decided that shooting him dead was wise. Which is when the guy in the truck took him out. And there was an undercover cop nearby who apparently witnessed the whole thing, and corroborated the guy's story...
November 24, 200618 yr That's the odd thing, why didn't the undercover cop do anything, yet he lets a citizen do something. Why is an undercover cop in that part of town anyway and not in OTR? I guess he didn't want to blow his cover, but still a lady just had been assulted.
November 28, 200618 yr Commissioner: Share the money BY KIMBALL PERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER November 28, 2006 CINCINNATI - Hamilton Countys sheriff and prosecutor should give up some of the hundreds of thousands of dollars each of their offices annually receive from assets taken from drug dealers and others caught committing crimes, a county commissioner said Monday. Democrat Todd Portune said the money could be used to pay for new safety initiatives in the county budget, which was formally unveiled Monday. County administrator Patrick Thompson presented to commissioners a proposed 2007 budget that is down $1.5 million from this years $255 million budget. E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061128/NEWS01/311280002/1056/COL02
November 29, 200618 yr From the 11/15/06 Enquirer: Coroner's workload, budget up 2007 proposal includes three more scientists BY KIMBALL PERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER When they receive the proposed 2007 budget today, Hamilton County commissioners will see many cuts - but not in the coroner's office. Instead, the coroner's $3.8 million budget and 44 employees would grow by $200,000 next year - so three scientists can be hired to help solve crimes and prosecute cases. "Most people in Hamilton County are concerned about crime. If you want justice, we have to have these people," Coroner O'dell Owens said Tuesday. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061115/NEWS01/611150356/1056/COL02
November 29, 200618 yr From the 11/18/06 Enquirer: Drug sweep nets 30 in 3 neighborhoods Police: Arrests will decrease violence BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER AVONDALE - Thirty people were arrested this week on drug trafficking charges after neighborhood complaints led to a two-month police investigation. "We had a lot of ongoing complaints about drug dealing, particularly in Avondale," Capt. Howard Rahtz, commander of the Cincinnati Police Central Vice Control Section, said Friday. The suspects - including 10 in Avondale, 13 in Walnut Hills and seven in Bond Hill - were arrested during a sweep Thursday. E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061118/NEWS01/611180380/1056/COL02
November 29, 200618 yr Both from the 11/20/06 Enquirer: Victims fighting attackers Recent string of self-defense cases shows hard choices BY DAN HORN AND SHARON COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITERS It's a split-second decision all crime victims face when confronted by a robber, rapist or burglar: Obey the criminal or fight back. A growing number of Cincinnatians have chosen to fight. Cincinnati police say at least nine homicides this year could qualify as justified because the killers say they were fending off criminals who intended to harm them. Last year, police reported one justified homicide. E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061120/NEWS01/611200387/1056/COL02 Police: Homicides often in self-defense THE ENQUIRER Cincinnati police say as many as nine of the city's 75 homicides this year could be cases of self-defense. Prosecutors have cleared several people of wrongdoing. Jan. 28: Logan Matthew, 13, of Avondale, shot and found dead inside a car in the 2600 block of Kipling Avenue in Mount Airy. Cincinnati police said he was trying to rob Antonio Robinson, who wrestled the gun away from the boy and shot him. Robinson, 30, was charged with murder and is expected in court Dec. 4. Feb 5: Abdullah Walker, 18, shot in the 2900 block of West McMicken Avenue in Clifton Heights. Police said Walker broke into the home and was robbing people at gunpoint when he began firing. Sean Gray got a gun and shot Walker to death. A grand jury declined to charge Gray. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061120/NEWS01/611200386/1056/COL02
November 29, 200618 yr From the 11/21/06 Forest Hills Journal: Mt. Washington doesn't fear trend BY FORREST SELLERS | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MT. WASHINGTON - Mt. Washington Community Council members aren't ready to declare Beacon Street a danger zone. However, several do have concerns about crime spots in the community. A Fairborn man was killed following a robbery Nov. 10. The Cincinnati Police Department is still investigating. "I don't have a problem with Beacon Street," said Margaret Stigler, a board member on the Mt. Washington Community Council. [email protected] 248-7680 http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061121/NEWS01/611210330/1058/Local
November 29, 200618 yr Also, though I won't post the whole stories, here are links regarding a couple of stories recently. I didn't see them posted: Regarding the deli owner who shot and killed Gary Eden at the S&S Deli in Winton Place: Cincinnati Enquirer: Deli owner absolved in killing (11/14/06) Regarding the man who shot 14-year-old Quavale Finnell as the teen was stealing his car: Cincinnati Enquirer: 'I am not a vigilante' (11/17/06)
December 3, 200618 yr Folks from Northside, Clifton, College Hill & Winton Place met at a Northside Community Council meeting to discuss safety issues with city councilmembers & police. This summary is from The Northsider paper By Paul Green President, Northside Community Council Northside—District 5 Captain Tom Johns opened the summit by saying that his goal was to get more people involved in crime prevention in Police District 5. Council Member Jeff Berding said that the purpose of the summit is an opportunity to share with citizens the strategies that are being employed in their districts with the hope of doing better and to share what has been happening legis- latively on Cincinnati City Council. The City Council also wants to work with citizens in the neighborhood to improve safety. Captain Johns gave a presentation on crime in District 5. One specific problem that he wanted people to be aware of was that the most common crime is breaking and entering and this past year the theft of copper, in the form of pipes and wire, was the most often committed crime, accounting for 25 percent of all criminal activity. Northside is the most affected neighborhood, followed by Clifton/University Heights and Fairview. One reason for this is that there are three locations in District 5 where copper can be sold. These thefts are primarily occurring in homes, though copper gutters have been stolen from a church. The thieves choose homes which appear vacant. Realtor signs, lock boxes, and remodeling signs are all indications that the house might be vacant. These items are often sold at Garden Street Iron and Metal on Spring Grove, which has been working with police to apprehend the thieves. Captain Johns asked that if you see someone going into a home who doesn't look familiar, please call the police especially if you see people coming out with copper items. Besides stealing the copper, thieves often do severe damage to the homes because they don't turn off the water before ripping out the pipes. Captain Johns said that in the first 10 months of this year, more than 5,000 people have been arrested in District 5. He suggested that citizens who want to help can join: • Citizens on Patrol: Terri Windeler—513-352-3533 • Court Watch—513-591- 1010 (This is the number for the sub station in College Hill) • CPOP Team: Community Police Partnering Center—513- 559-5450 • Neighborhood Watch Group: TerriWmdeler—513-352-3533 Captain Johns urged residents to sign a "Right of Entry" letter which gives police the right to go onto your property (but not into your house) if they see suspicious activity on your property. To obtain a Right of Entry form, contact Officer Katrina Neal at 513-352-3578. He also pointed to the Community Impact Statements, which allow people to describe the affect that crime has on their communities and themselves when a criminal is in court, are another tool for fighting crime. Captain Johns then went into detail about Citizens on Patrol (COP). COP'S job is to be the eyes and ears of the police; specifically, to observe and report sus- p i c i o u s activity. Each person who joins is given a three-week training course, consisted of about three to four hours a week. The course teaches people what to look for and how to avoid problems, as well as how to use the police radio that is given to the patrol groups. Each group consists of at least three people to ensure the safety of those patrolling. The police who are on duty check in with those on patrol. The patrols allow COP members to get to know people who are the trouble makers and this familiarity has a deterrent affect. Jeff Berding gave an overview of this year's City Council initiatives: The City would be expanding the Operation Vortex unit and bring it to other neighborhoods. Operation Vortex is designed to concentrate police efforts in cme area and once the crime has abated, work to rehabilitate the area. —Passage of the Chronic Nuisance Property ordinance, which allows the city to bill property owners if their property is the site of excessive police calls for service. —Vacant Building Mainten- ance Licenses require owners of vacant buildings to pay a license fee, which allows the city to keep track of the owners of vacant buildings. —Passage of an ordinance to increase the penalty for possession of marijuana to a 4th degree misdemeanor. This increased penalty was requested by the police. The law has a sunset clause and will have to be renewed next March. The six- month report on the effect of the law showed 37 guns had been confiscated, as well as other drugs such as heroin and crack —The creation of the TIPS online system, which allows people to go online and enter information and tips for the police. —The City budget includes funding for 65 more police officers next year and 50 more the fol- lowing year. Also included in the budget is money for demolition of hazardous and/or blighted properties in Northside and two other neighborhoods. The rest of the meeting was devoted to a public forum. George Bishop, chair of the Clifton Safety Committee, said that he would tike to get surveil- lance cameras in Clifton and asked where the promised funding for them has gone. He said that he hoped that they didn't need to wait until crime went up before they got the cameras. He also wanted to know if we will be building a new jail. Council member Leslie Ghiz responded that the old crime cameras had been watched by volunteers and these cameras were very slow and not very useful. They are now looking for new camera ideas, such as the type used to catch the subway bombers in London, but they are very expensive. The plan is to install the cameras in sixteen neighborhoods and move them as needed. The first cameras are going to be privately funded and will be placed on the west side of Cincinnati. Regarding the jail, Ms. Ghiz said that she is looking for an immediate solution and wouid be placed meeting with Commislioner-elect Pepper to discuss the issue. She also said that she still wants to construct the temporary "bubble jails." Daniel Lewis, who lives on Riddle Road in UniversityHeights, was concerned with an apartment building at the bottom of his street. He is concerned about increased criminal activity there and its effect on property values. He added that he thinks the problem might be with the slumlords in the area. Council member Chris Bortz responded that he too is concerned with apartment buildings all over the city. He said that the Chronic Nuisance Property ordinance will go into effect on January 1st, which he hoped would be part of the solution to this problem. Dave Henry, a Northside resident, expressed his concerns that the city budget had too much emphasis on hiring more police officers while taking money away from crime deterrents like the recreation centers. He said that it didn't make sense to him to hire more officers when there was no jail to house the people they would arrest. He noted his concern with the lack of programs for children and pointed out the value of a basketball tourna- ment that citizens put together and how it benefited the children. He also complemented Steve Gerth for his role in turning around the McKie Center. Jeff Berding responded that the City Council will be giving the budget a hard look. He said that there aren't "either/or" positions. The problem is that budget must be balanced and the City can't keep counting on windfalls to balance it. He sees public safety as very important to the quality of life and the view of people living in the city. Jay Staples, a Northside resident, asked what the rationale was behind the increased marijuana penalty. Captain Johns responded that by increasing the penalty to a 4ft degree misdemeanor they couid do a more thorough search of people. He also said that because there isn't enough jail space, people arrested under the ordinance were being booked and released. Nancy Ent, a Northside resident, spoke in favor of a skate park in Clifton or Northside as a place for children to go where they won't get in trouble for skating and just being teenagers. Ray Schumaker, a resident of Clifton, said that he was a beneficiary of the GI bill after WWII and this helped him get a better job. He noted that there is talk of a new jail, yet the current jail was supposed to be about rehabilitation which never happened. He also suggested that those who work in the city be required to live in the city. Bruce Bernard, from the gaslight district in Clifton, said that he is worried about a spate of recent robberies in the area and wanted to know how lighting could be improved to help combat this. He also expressed concern over reduction in spending for the recreation centers and public schools. Currently there are 28 recreation centers in the City and the City Manager wants to take about $1 million out of their budget. Jeff Berding responded that City Council has created a group to work with the school board. Leslie Ghiz noted that there has been some concern with people in the gaslight district about increased lighting over- shadowing the gas lights. Earmon Powell of Winton Place suggested that we use the model of the way the city used to be—a better place—and apply that to current problems. He would like to see the corporations return money to the city. He would like to see teenagers on patrol, and setting a better example. Gwen Marshall, a Northside resident, said that just locking up young people is not working and is in fact counterproductive. She said that the goal needs to be to change behavior when the children are young and that it would not be productive to close recreation centers, reduce the resource officers in the school, or lock up more young people. Jeff Berding re- sponded that the City Manager's proposal was not to reduce the resource officers, but to have the schools pay for them. Jeff Bering said that a new jail is needed for the county. He noted that current jail has always been overcrowded and the revolving door is a problem. He doesn't see the jail as a substitute for education, recreation, family, or jobs but that these aren't a substitute for a good justice system either. The purpose of building the jail is to put more criminals behind bars so that the local citizens won't be accosted walking down the street. He said that if Sheriff Si Lies says we need one, then it must be true. Jim Tarbell concluded the summit by saying that he supports the skate park idea and making the gas lights brighter. He thinks that the copper theft shows that people just aren't home and we don't have enough eyes on the street. He referred to a development at North Bend and Hamilton Avenue on the old Schuller*s Wigwam site that he thinks will impart a sense of pride and ownership. He said that the walking patrol on Ludlow has made a significant improvement in the district. He thinks that economic development and walking patrols are important. It is up to the citizens to state their opinion on the type of officers they want, such as having neighborhood officers. The vote on the City's budget will be in four weeks. The next public hearing on the budget is scheduled for December 12th from 6-9 p.m. at the Duke Energy Center, Downtown, and the second hearing will be on December 14th from 6-9 p.m. at the College Hill Recreation Center.
December 8, 200618 yr Foot found near gas pumps THE ENQUIRER What appeared to be a human foot was discovered at a gas station in Colerain Township Thursday afternoon. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061208/NEWS01/612080412
December 9, 200618 yr ^ That foot turned out not to be human, but of some undetermined "non-hoofed" animal. :? A link: The man who runs a convenience store in Northside was robbed for the third time and shot for the second time in five months. His nickname should be "Apu": Cincinnati Enquirer: Store owner shot again (12/2/06) From the 12/4/06 Enquirer: Homicides already equal '05s Two new killings raise possibility of record BY JESSICA BROWN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER With two shooting deaths Sunday, the city has tied last year's number with 79 homicides, the highest in more three decades. The city's yearly modern record for homicides is 82, set in 1967, according to police records that date to 1950. Only two other years have experienced more homicides - 1968 and 1971 - with 81. "It's incredibly disturbing," Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz said about this year's homicide rate. "I'm just really saddened by it. It just leaves you speechless." http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061204/NEWS01/612040363/1077/COL02
December 9, 200618 yr Cincinnati weapons ban OK'd Ohio Supreme Court ruling validates 'home rule' BY DAN KLEPAL | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER December 9, 2006 CINCINNATI - Cincinnati's ban on the possession or sale of semiautomatic weapons, in limbo and unenforced since 2004 when Ohio's 1st District Court of Appeals ruled it unconstitutional, is once again on the books. At least for a week. The Ohio Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday that upholds the city's right to outlaw such weapons within the city limits. A majority of the justices cited a provision in the Ohio Constitution commonly referred to as "home rule," as the reason. Home rule allows municipalities to adopt and enforce ordinances within their jurisdictions that are stricter than state law, so long as they don't conflict with higher law. E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061209/NEWS01/612090342/1056/COL02
December 11, 200618 yr You guys should see the enquire comment section about crime in Cincinnati. It's 52 pages long. Some said they moved to Bright, Indiana to get away from the crime and some said it's worse here than when they lived in Chicago. What a joke. Why do people even work if they are worried about crime. Some people need to get a grip. Crime is not bad here in Cincinnati. Actually, crime here is very bad. The per capita rate is the preferred model since it allows comparisons between cities of all sizes. For example, in 2004, Chicago had 448 murders, or a per capita murder rate of 0.16 per 1,000 people, to Cincinnasti's 79 murders, which is 0.238 murders per 1,000 people. In other words, your chance of being murdered in Cincinnasti is 50% higher than in Chicago. Or, another way of looking at it, if Cincinnasti had 2.8 Million people, the murder rate in 2004 would have been 667 murders, about 219 more murders than Chicago. Thus, in 2004, Cincinnasti was the Muder Capital of the US, and will probably win again in 2006, since we've already tied 2004. The biggest problem is the police, who are probably among the least competent on the planet. It's astoninshing that Cincinnatians pay such a large amount in taxes for police protection, get nothing in return for the rather overly large police force which constantly hires more police, and on top of that, the police try to slough off their duties onto ordinary residents through euphemistic programs like "Community Oriented Policing." Not only is that my personal opinion, it's my professional opinion, having a degree in Law Enforcement (not the psycho-babble Criminal Justice degrees that prepare people to be prison guards, and probation/parole officers), 16 weeks at a police academy, 8 weeks in advanced investigations, holding the ranke of Detective Sargeant, and having been the operations director for a police station. You could lay-off 600 police officers and still cut crime by 40% here, provided the police are properly organized and competently led. But, that won't happen so long as the police union dictates orders to City Hall and the city continues to promote the inbred pencil pushers who can't think outside the box. About 3 years ago, I set up a video and time-lapse recorder on Chickasaw Street in Clifton. In 7 days, one, just one of Cincinnasti's finest drove down the street. He wasn't patrolling, not driving 59 mph he wasn't (we measured the chain link fence across the street and divided the it took to traverse that distance). He was obviously just cutting through to get to somewhere else. But that's the whole problem. The police here do not use proper patrol tactics and techniques, and they aren't visible. You can't deter crime if you aren't visible. And places like Chickasaw Street and others in town constantly suffer from graffiti, petty vandalism, criminal mishchief, smash-n-grab thefts, larcenies/burglaries, robberies, rapes and other assaults, because of it. The sooner City Hall implements some rather drastic chances, the sooner we'll all see the crime rate drop and feel safer.
December 11, 200618 yr Er...someone "holding the ranke of Detective Sargeant" who misspells his own rank? Can you forgive a little skepticism on my part?
December 11, 200618 yr cincinnati is anything but nasty, its certainly one of the most beautiful cities in the midwest if not the most beautiful.
December 11, 200618 yr ^^^but cincinnati's borders don't reflect the actual city. The chicago river cuts the city in half geographically but not politically. this is not the case in cincinnati where the ohio river causes the political jurisdiction to stop. Furthermore places like norwood, st. bernard, elmwood place are completely surrounded by the city but not included in our official populaiton. the actual city limits contain a disproportionate amount of poverty and crime, skewing the statics. if cincinnati and hamliton county were to merge, the total number of crimes wouldn't decrease (well not at first at least) but the crime rate would drop precipitously. Just looking at per capita rates is not always a meaningful comparison.
December 11, 200618 yr Cincinnati isn't Mayberry but it isn't Baghdad, there are much more unsafe cities out there and when you look at tracts of where crime occurs there are spots that are definitely severe problems (I live in one of the areas) but that can be said for any large urban are. Shit does need to get better though.
December 11, 200618 yr Mudslide, your petty name-calling reminds me of something I would hear on an elementary school playground ("Cincinnasti," nananabooboo!!). Really undermines the rest of your statements. As do unfounded statements like "your chance of being murdered in Cincinnasti is 50% higher than in Chicago." My chance of being murdered here is pretty much the same as in Chicago. Which is to say very, very low, because I'm not involved in drugs and don't socialize with ignorant low lifes. A rather inauspicious introduction to the UrbanOhio forum.
December 14, 200618 yr I think many of you would find this interview with Mr. Morgan Quinto interesting. You can get a feel for how much weight we should give his "Most Dangerous Listings". I only wish the Cincinnati media did a little more research than just regurgitating numbers. http://www.ksdk.com/video/player.aspx?aid=42560&sid=108331&bw=hi&cat=3
December 29, 200618 yr I think people over look the fact that safety and security are matters of perception, in addition to being a matter of numbers. People have to feel safe, and they don't feel safe down-town and in other places. There is only one thing that will cause people to feel safe, and that is high police visibility, which is non-existent in this city, and which, ironically, is the only way to reduce crime. So now city council wants to hire another 60 officers. I assure you, nothing will change. The best case scenario is that the appalling crime rate will remain the same, worst case, it will increase, which has been the trend every time more officers are hired.
December 29, 200618 yr cincinnati is anything but nasty, its certainly one of the most beautiful cities in the midwest if not the most beautiful. All the more reason to be disappointed. It does have an extraordinary skyline, especially when viewed at night from northbound I-75 in Kentucky. However, like so many buildings downtown, they have beautiful architecture on the outside, but are gutted on the inside. In Romania, I used to sit in the park at 3:00 AM, chatting with friends, drinking beer, and playing cards. Sometimes the police would stop to talk. Can't do that here. You aren't allowed in the parks after dark, god forbid you have an open container and be in a park at the same time, and you certainly wouldn't want to be there with the homeless, prostitutes, homosexual prostitutes, drug addicts and dealers.
December 29, 200618 yr There is only one thing that will cause people to feel safe, and that is high police visibility, which is non-existent in this city, and which, ironically, is the only way to reduce crime. Mudslide, it is obvious you have no idea what you are talking about. High police visibility certainly is not the only thing that will cause people to feel safe. I feel safe downtown and I don't see a cop of every corner, though I always see several when I walk around. Also, how does this account for areas of the city that almost anyone would feel safe in, like Hyde Park or Mt. Lookout Square or Mt. Adams? It's not because those places are crawling with cops, because they aren't. In fact, I have seen the viewpoint expressed that noticeably large police presence can actually make people feel unsafe, because they wonder why on earth are so many cops necessary. Increasing the number of officers certainly is not the only way to reduce crime. Listen to leaders of the black community, for example. Every time they say that facilitating access to economic opportunities (i.e., jobs) is the best way to get people off the streets, out of the dope business, and thus to reduce crime. Makes sense to me. Sure, they also ask for more cops, but acknowledge that that is a temporary measure. You say that increasing police presence is the only way to make people feel safe and reduce crime, but you are unwilling to admit that increasing the police force by more than 5% in a single year will have any impact. You're off to a slow start, pal. I hope your third post is better.
December 29, 200618 yr Cincinnati isn't Mayberry but it isn't Baghdad, there are much more unsafe cities out there and when you look at tracts of where crime occurs there are spots that are definitely severe problems (I live in one of the areas) but that can be said for any large urban are. Shit does need to get better though. Things do need to get better, but things here will never change so long as people are constantly comparing the city with other cities. I'm not interested in what other cities do or don't do, because I don't live in other cities. People ought to be constantly striving to make this city better, and they can and without spending exhorbitant amounts of money, rather than merely maintaining the status quo.
December 29, 200618 yr You say that increasing police presence is the only way to make people feel safe and reduce crime, but you are unwilling to admit that increasing the police force by more than 5% in a single year will have any impact. You don't need a "cop on every corner," they just need to be seen once in a while, and they are in the neighborhoods you mentioned. But that has more to do with the fact that influential people in those neighborhoods demand it, just like current and former council members, and other influential people, who live in the Gas-Light District in Clifton expect it. As with most things, it isn't quantity, it's quality. The number of police has nothing to do with it, it has to do with how effectively they are used, and they aren't used effectively here. Their patrol tactics and techniques are non-existent at best.
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