CINCINNATI — An internal email obtained by WCPO 9 News details one of the Cincinnati Police Department's plans to increase presence in Over-the-Rhine amid a rise in violent crime, but the plan is receiving mixed reactions from the officers and community members it impacts.
The email explains a new detail requiring officers to be visible on Vine and Main streets from Central Parkway to Liberty Street from noon to midnight. If the department doesn't have enough volunteers, the email says officers will be "mandated" to fill the shifts, potentially on top of their regular shifts.
We spoke with Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober, who said officers are stretched too thin right now to be adding another eight hours of walking outside to their schedule.
"We're going past, 'This is no longer volunteer. We're going to force you to do this if you don't sign up and work it,'" Kober said. "And that's where officers are saying enough's enough."
WATCH: CPD will be adding patrols in one part of OTR — but does that area see more crime than other spots?
Kober also questioned the need in that area, noting it is not where the bulk of crime is being committed.
We checked the data, which shows there have been four homicides in Over-the-Rhine this year, one of which was in the patrol area. There have been 29 aggravated assaults in all of Over-the-Rhine, a handful of them on Vine and Main between Liberty and Central.
Data shows most violent crime in Over-the-Rhine is happening north of Liberty Street.
Rachel Felous, who owns Simply Zero on Vine Street, said she welcomes the increased police presence.
"I think it will be great, to be honest," Felous said.
She said Over-the-Rhine is vibrant and wants everyone to visit it. While she can't say for sure if the perception that the neighborhood isn't safe is driving reality — or if there are other reasons — she said they have seen a shift in foot traffic.
"I would say like in the last month, I know a lot of us retailers have, you know, been concerned with the decrease in traffic that we've seen here," Felous said. "There's been a coalition, a committee of us that have been asking, you know, not just for more presence in the neighborhood, but also you know we always want to share like the positive of what's happening in here in OTR."
Kober said he wonders if 3CDC is calling the shots to protect its investments. The organization owns or manages much of the property in the designated area. When you call a "shift" a "detail," he tells me, that means a third party, like 3CDC, is footing the bill.
"In my nearly 25 years here, I have never heard of an instance where officers are forced to work for a private company," Kober said.
We talked to 3CDC's president, who tells me he does pay for details, but is not paying for this one.
Kober estimates the initiative will cost about $60,000 a month.
We reached out to the police chief's office and the city manager's office to ask who is paying for this detail and why they felt it was necessary now, but have not received any response.
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