What’s Cincinnati’s plan to curb uptick in crime, violence? Here’s what city leaders say

As this summer in Cincinnati brought an uptick in crime and violence, particularly in the urban core, city leaders have put into place a number of new initiatives in response.

During a recent public safety meeting at the Aronoff Center, Cincinnati police Capt. Adam Hennie detailed a handful of previously unannounced ways the department is taking action.

Crime data show a spike of reported violent crimes in Cincinnati’s urban core of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine this year when compared with reported incidents by this point in 2024. As of Aug. 3, Downtown has seen a 50% increase in robberies, from 24 to 36, and a 46% increase in aggravated assaults, from 16 to 23.

More: Is crime up in Cincinnati? Here’s what the data shows

Hennie, who is responsible for the Central Business Section of Downtown and Mt. Adams, said much of uptick is during the evening and nighttime hours – from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. – and involve people known to the department, not Downtown visitors.

“A lot of these [robberies] are individuals that live mostly on the street robbing one another,” Hennie said during the Aug. 5 meeting of mostly Downtown business owners. “The vast majority of these robberies are not patrons coming down here and being robbed while they’re going to a show or a business. There is a few, but that’s not what we’re seeing here.”

City leaders have come under pressure from residents, business leaders and politicians to take further action as the summer has continued. The break-in fatal stabbing of a well-known Over-the-Rhine gym owner, followed by a string of homicides across the urban core near Liberty Street and a recent viral fight in Downtown has turned up the heat.

“It has been no doubt a challenging time in the city,” Pureval said during a city council meeting Aug. 6. “But I want to reiterate the city every summer has a safety plan, and every summer we monitor that plan week-to-week. We take public safety very serious. It is our top priority.”

Here is what Cincinnati police have said they are doing now.

Adjusting police patrols and adding more units

City council approved $2 million last week for police and public safety. The money will be used based on need for measures like beefing up security Downtown by adding more lighting, security cameras and patrols.

Officers have already been added on special patrols along Main and Vine streets in Over-the-Rhine during the evening hours − walking, biking and riding Segways.

Hennie said officers have been pulled from other areas of the city to help Downtown. In the late afternoon and evenings, bike unit officers are focused on areas around Fountain Square and the Aronoff Center to help provide a greater sense of safety.

“It doesn’t matter what these statistics are, it’s the perception,” Hennie said. “And the biggest thing I can do is get as many cops out on that street as quickly as possible.”

City leaders received some criticism for not having more officers on duty during the 3 a.m. viral fight in Downtown late last month. The department’s new street crime task force had went home at 2 a.m., Theetge said in a news conference after the fight.

Now, Hennie said additional details from SWAT and the Civil Disturbance Response Team will stay on duty later during the weekends, until 3 and 4 a.m.

Forming new task forces

The department has launched new task forces with officers dedicated to tackling specific problems in the city. In addition to the department’s street crime task force, which has targeted crime hot spots in the city since its formation in early July, Hennie announced the formation of two new task forces:

• A vending task force with police, the health department, the city manager and the fire department to ensure truck vendors (particularly serving the nighttime crowd) have the right permits and certifications.

Most officers out on duty are responding to 911 calls and other runs during their shift, Hennie explained. The task forces allow for the department to hone in on specific issues without officers having to be pulled away for an ongoing call.

More: City leaders say crime is ‘stabilizing’ as criminals take notice of new police task force

Resuming enforcement of the youth curfew

City officials announced a stricter youth curfew, with tighter rules in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, for unaccompanied minors.

Now, there is a uniform citywide curfew of 11 p.m. for anyone unaccompanied under the age of 18. The city’s previous curfew ordinance set a curfew for people under 16 after 10 p.m. and after midnight for ages 16 to 18.

Council also set an even earlier curfew for Over-the-Rhine and Downtown of 9 p.m. for an unaccompanied minor in a curfew district south of Liberty Street.

The curfew, which has been on the books since 1994, has been enforced less year over year since 2000.

Parents can also be charged for their child’s curfew violations under the current ordinance. None have been changed since 2009 and as city leaders call for parental accountability it’s unclear if that will change.

Launching a drone unit

Cincinnati police launched Ohio’s first Drone as First Responder program July 28.

The new police drones can be remotely deployed and piloted toward the scene of an incident from “hives” placed across the city. Within seconds, a drone could be at the scene of an incident while officers are still on their way.

In the program’s first two weeks, it has responded to 230 calls for service across parts of the West Side near West Price hill, Downtown and Northside, according to a review of flight data.

Police have said the program covers 40% of the city – the Price Hill neighborhoods, Over-the-Rhine, Queensgate, West End, Downtown, CUF, Northside and Spring Grove Village. Theetge said she plans to have 90% of the city covered by the end of the year.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Here’s Cincinnati’s plan to curb crime, violence Downtown and citywide