Residents will get a chance to ask Cincinnati Police Chief James Craig some questions at a public meeting this week.
Craig, who was sworn in as the city’s 13th police chief in August, will be the featured speaker at the annual meeting of Citizens for Civic Renewal (CCR). The session will be held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Kingsgate Marriott Conference Center in Corryville, near the University of Cincinnati.—-
The meeting is free and open to the public.
During the session, Craig will discuss the Cincinnati Police Department’s community policing efforts, and talk about ways for citizens to become involved in improving public safety.
Formed in 1996, CCR was designed as an organization to amplify the voice of the people on vital community issues. Among the issues the group has been involved with over the years include the effort to change the city’s charter to allow the city manager to hire police and fire chiefs from outside current ranks, rather than solely by internal civil service procedures.
After voters approved Issue 5 in November 2001, Craig last year became the first police chief hired under the new process.
For the past year CCR has worked with the city of Cincinnati to create a “participatory budgeting” process that asks citizens to make tough choices while inviting City Council to step outside politics and consider common sense solutions. After deliberating and surveying community priorities, CCR is preparing an advisory report to consult while city officials make decisions about police spending amid limited resources.
In partnership with city administrators, CCR also is working to foster ongoing communication between residents and ground-level city employees so they can proactively and collaboratively solve problems and finish projects.
