Armed street robberies on the rise in Clifton, University Heights and Fairview

CINCINNATI - Cincinnati police are sending out crime alerts to neighborhoods around the University of Cincinnati because of a rise in armed street robberies. Many of them happen between the hours of 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.

There have been 10 armed robberies in the Clifton, University Heights and Fairview in just the last two months. Two of them happened just hours apart Wednesday night in Fairview and University Heights.

Around 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, a man armed with a handgun jumped out of woods in the 400 block of West McMillan Avenue at the intersection of Fairview Avenue and Ravine Street. He demanded property from the victim.

Three hours later on Wheeler Street, three men approached a victim, with one of them striking the victim with a pistol. The attackers also took various personal property.

Some Wheeler Street residents say the latest wave of crime has them worried.

"It's definitely concerning. This is definitely a darker area of campus. You come down here late at night and you see that. There are street lights but it's not as well lit as West Clifton would be," said UC student Eric Helldoerfer.

Other neighbors say they are less concerned because they know the neighborhood.

"Yeah, it's concerning to a point. You just got to take every day as it comes. We're pretty safe when we go out. It shouldn't change anything," said resident Patrick Moore.

Cincinnati police say they've added a dozen uniformed and undercover officers to the overnight shift around UC neighborhoods.

"Part of the problem we've got is that we've got such a large population base and density that I don't have enough officers to put on every corner. We're flooding it and unfortunately, we are still having the problems," said Captain Paul Neudigate of Cincinnati Police District 5.

Police say they've noticed a trend that has them worried. Some victims are waiting to call police, giving suspects a chance to get away.

"It didn't help last night that we had two offenses and they weren't immediately reported. One took approximately 30 minutes before they called us. The other one 11 minutes and we all know, the sooner you can report it the better," said Captain Neudigate.

None of the recent armed robbery victims was seriously injured.
       
Officers say if you are threatened with a gun, go ahead and give them your property and money. The property and cash can be replaced, but your life cannot.