As summer approaches, Cincinnati city officials are bracing for what Mayor Aftab Pureval called a “sad but historical pattern” of the seasonal rise in violence that occurs in the summer months.
“That’s why we are out on our front foot with a coordinated set of strategies,” Pureval said Wednesday at a news conference at City Hall.
Those strategies stretch from bike patrols in Over-the-Rhine to teen skate nights at Sawyer Point. The message from city leaders was clear: safety and opportunity have to work together.
“Public safety is the core responsibility we have as city leaders,” Pureval said. “Nothing else works; the positive impacts we’re investing in across our communities, none of it works unless families can feel safe in our community.”
City Manager Sheryl Long echoed that framing, describing youth programming and policing as two sides of the same investment.
“We have made sure that our police department, in addition to those other areas that are supporting our youth, are something that we are making a priority to build our budget around,” she said.
On the streets
Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie has built his summer plan around four pillars: visibility, investigation, technology and collaboration. The numbers he cited suggest the first of those is already taking hold.
Walking patrols are up 138%, he said, with total time officers spend on foot up 148%. In April alone, walking patrols jumped 446% compared to the same month last year.
“I am just extremely proud of our officers buying into this initiative, working hard, being out there, being visible,” Hennie said.
A dedicated unit of bicycle officers will concentrate on downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine this summer, Hennie said, while other bike officers are deployed across the city’s districts. He was careful to note the unit won’t pull resources from existing walking patrols.
“I think this is not only a big priority for the citizens themselves, but for us to build those connections, build that trust, and reduce crime,” he said.
Behind the scenes, the department has quietly created something new. Responding to what Hennie described as national trends in gun violence and mass shootings, the city assembled its first full-time SWAT team.
“I felt it was important for us to finally put together a full-time SWAT team that is not really visible, per se, but they are there,” he said.
The department is also leaning on its neighbors. Joint operations with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol are, by Hennie’s account, stronger than they’ve ever been — with the sheriff’s office now available to patrol parts of the city as needed.
“Understand that they are the county law enforcement agency, and we are in Hamilton County,” Hennie said. “They want to support us.”
Technology rounds out the department’s approach. Officers and technicians monitor cameras across the city around the clock, and a drone fleet capable of covering 90% of Cincinnati is available day and night — including the hours when a fast response matters most.
“These drones can now respond and be somewhere faster than a police officer at 3 o’clock in the morning,” Hennie said.
Something to do
While police focus on visibility and deterrence, another part of the city’s strategy is simpler: give young people somewhere to be.
This summer, the city is investing $650,000 for Record Night, $2 million for pools, $1 million for camps and 250 jobs through the city’s Youth 2 Work program, according to Tiffany Stewart, assistant director of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission.
“These efforts will serve thousands of youth and families across Cincinnati,” she said.
The CRC’s Rec @ Nite program targets what Stewart called a high-risk window — weekend evenings — by offering supervised space for teens ages 12 to 17 every Saturday from June 6 through Aug. 8, from 5 to 10 p.m. Sports, swimming, esports and music are all on the agenda. Last year, the program drew 2,300 teens; this year, it expands to four sites: Lincoln, Hirsch, Evanston, and Winton Hills recreation centers. Cincinnati police will be present at the events.
Summer camps launch June 9, and a new teen concert featuring local musical talent is also in the works.
The Cincinnati Parks Department is adding its own draw. Director Jason Barron pointed to teen skate nights every Friday at Sawyer Point as the centerpiece of the department’s summer programming. Last year, 13 weeks of skating brought in more than 1,500 attendees, more than 100 kids per week.
“We’ve met the challenge to have active and engaging programs specifically for teens,” Barron said. “We also had 52 hours of free programming.”
Coming home safe
One piece of last summer’s framework remains in place: the city curfew. In the urban core, it begins at 9 p.m.; citywide, it’s 11 p.m.
But Hennie was quick to draw a distinction between enforcement and punishment.
“It is not the goal of the police department to start citing and/or arresting young people because they just attended something,” he said. “Our primary goal as Cincinnati police is to want these young people to go out. We want these young people to enjoy these programs and these activities, and we want them to get home safely.”