CINCINNATI — Many Cincinnati residents are increasingly worried about crime in their neighborhoods, with many calling for city leaders to take stronger action as violent incidents continue to occur across the city.
"I just want to feel safe and comfortable," said Thomas Gubert, a Clifton resident.
This sentiment has become a common refrain among many Cincinnati residents in recent weeks as they grapple with concerns about safety in their communities. We've seen that many people believe their concerns and ideas regarding crime aren't being heard. In an effort to change that, we're hosting a community discussion Tuesday to hear from residents. Click here for information about the event.
Several violent incidents have sparked calls for change, including multiple shootings in Over-the-Rhine and a viral brawl downtown that led to several arrests.
"I do believe in a lot of cases it is the younger, the teenagers, who are causing a lot of the problems because they're young. You know, they're young, they're energetic, and they have to express things a certain way, and there's no way for them to do it other than violent means," said Pam Latham, another Clifton resident.
Another violent incident that has rattled Cincinnati is the fatal stabbing of Patrick Heringer in OTR in early June. Police reported that his killer had cut off an electronic monitoring device months before the attack.
"This just isn't about me. I'm not the only widow. Patrick isn't the only body," Sarah Heringer, Patrick's wife, previously said.
In the past two weeks alone, OTR has experienced several shootings, including two murders within 24 hours.
According to Cincinnati Police crime data, overall crime is up just 0.5% compared to last year. However, when compared to 2023, crime has decreased by 7.5% citywide.
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Despite these encouraging citywide trends, some neighborhoods are experiencing different realities. In Clifton — Cincinnati's 14th largest neighborhood — crime statistics show an uptick in some violent crimes compared to last year.
Ben Pantoja, president of the Clifton Neighborhood Association and a 40-year resident, said he's witnessed significant changes.
"In the 40 years, the four decades, that I've been here, I've seen a dramatic increase in aggressive panhandling, open use of drugs, drug overdoses," Pantoja said.
Watch: Cincinnati residents share their thoughts on crime and the city's response so far below:
When shown the latest crime statistics for Clifton, which show both robberies and aggravated assaults are at their highest levels in years, Pantoja was surprised.
"That has increased quite a bit!" he said.
Last month, portions of Clifton's Ludlow Avenue were disrupted by a late-night street takeover, adding to residents' concerns.
Pantoja believes part of the problem stems from changes in the Cincinnati Police Department's policing strategy.
"I think that law enforcement has gotten away from the theory of broken windows. The broken window theory that if you control things like graffiti, litter," he said. "When you do that, more and more areas like Clifton that weren't higher-level crimes start to get those higher-level crimes as well."
What does crime look like where you live?
The City of Cincinnati's Reported Crime dashboard shows reported STARS offense activity for the past four years in the City of Cincinnati and Reported Crime Victim demographics for the past four years in the city. You can access it by clicking here.
By default, only the current year's data is shown. To view data for the past 4 years, including year-over-year comparisons, navigate to and select the ‘Offenses Historical’ tab or the 'Victims Historical' tab on the left-hand side of the web page.
If you aren't able to attend our community listening session at the main branch of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, you can submit your concerns or ideas below.
