CINCINNATI — Cincinnati residents voiced strong concerns about safety in their neighborhoods during a community conversation held by WCPO 9 at the main branch of the Public Library Tuesday afternoon.
City data shows crime is up just .02% compared to this time last year. However, when compared to 2023, crime decreased by 8.23% by this same time in the year.
But those figures don't mean Cincinnatians feel safe.
Residents expressed frustration about what they perceive as a disconnect between crime statistics and their daily experiences, with many saying they don't feel safe despite what the CPD data shows.
"Right now, I don't feel safe in Cincinnati," said Karen Holliday, a Cincinnati resident.
The WCPO-hosted event brought together dozens of residents from neighborhoods including Avondale, Over-the-Rhine, Walnut Hills and Price Hill to discuss solutions to crime concerns.
"We have to be serious about how we approach safety," said Linda Matthews, an Avondale resident who is running for city council.
When asked if they were satisfied with current safety measures, multiple residents responded with a resounding "No."
The conversation covered a wide range of topics, including youth crime, the court system and the need for greater involvement from city and state leadership.
Nick Tolbert, a community member, acknowledged that solutions won't come quickly.
"The problems that we have can be resolved, but a lot of it is going to take time," he said.
Watch the full recap of Tuesday's conversation below:
Residents proposed several solutions, including stricter enforcement of minor violations like littering, loitering and traffic offenses in neighborhoods where these issues are prevalent.
"We the ones got to walk down the street at two in the morning, maybe to walk our dog, maybe go outside, maybe do this, and we don't want to feel like anytime you see a group of young kids, that's something violent going on," said one concerned resident.
Many attendees emphasized the need for parents to be held accountable for their children's actions through the court system.
Carolyn Martinez, a Downtown resident, questioned the effectiveness of current criminal justice policies.
"I keep hearing all these people who were in trouble before, and they got out early," Martinez said. "Well, they should have — pull some statistics and see if what they're doing, the plan they have to have early release or cash bail or whatever it is. Is it working? Because it doesn't appear to be, when you hear about the people in the news and they're repeat offenders."
Some community members, including city council candidate Linda Matthews, advocated for bringing back community-based initiatives like Citizens on Patrol.
"Historically, we've had Citizens on Patrol. Someone seniors who are very ingrained in the community that says OK, so-and-so over here is a problem. We need to deal with that," Matthews said.
While residents welcomed recent efforts like the city's curfew policy, they stressed that more needs to be done with consistency and transparency from officials.
"We need to enact whatever rules and laws we need to, to get this under control. That's a start," said Holliday.
What's next? The team at WCPO will take your comments and bring them to city leaders and officials.
If you couldn't make it out on Tuesday, we still want to hear from you. You can list your ideas and concerns in the form below.
