CINCINNATI — During a Cincinnati City Council meeting on Wednesday, leaders from the Cincinnati Police Department, Cincinnati Parks and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission presented summer violence prevention programs — with the key being collaboration between all three entities.
"We know, to reduce violence in our city, we need more than a police response," community advocate Iris Roley told the council. "By providing additional programs and workforce opportunities for teens, we're giving them a path to success, and we've seen the positive results in the last two years."
Cincinnati is heading into the summer months with its lowest number of reporting shootings since at least 2010, according to CPD data. For city leaders, it's proof that effective policing strategies are in place — but it's only a start.
Hear more from the city council meeting in the video below:
"We're not going to take our foot off the gas yet," said Councilman Scotty Johnson, a former Cincinnati police officer. "We do have numbers that show we're trending down, but to continue to make sure we're trending down, we have to continue to work."
Here are CPD's key focus areas this summer:
- Focus efforts on chronic hot spots — These locations make up 5% of Cincinnati's geographic area but contain 31% of violent crime and 42% of shooting victims
- Spreading community awareness about stolen firearms — Theft of firearms peaks in the summer months, according to CPD. It reported a 54% spike in incidents between May and August 2024. Numbers are slightly down so far in 2025
- Youth violence prevention — CPD will host the Children in Trauma Intervention (CITI) camp and a cadet program where some young people will earn a paid, part-time position. It will also support the "Rec @ Nite" program
"We're approaching (the summer), not just by policing it, but we're approaching it by also programming to the youth in the community," said Daniel Betts, Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) director of recreation.
CRC will host several programs throughout the summer:
- "Rec @ Nite" — The event offers safe, engaging activities to young people located in high-crime neighborhoods. It will run on Saturdays from June 7 to Aug. 9 between 5-10 p.m. It will be located at the Lincoln Recreation Center and the Hirsch Recreation Center
- CRC pools — 24 CRC pools will be open this summer. Programs include lap swim, open swim and CRC camp swim
"It gives those young people alternatives to doing bad things in their neighborhood, and it also protects those young people who may not be doing bad things but are in close proximity," Betts said.
Cincinnati Parks will also host programming:
- Family-friendly, free park events — Cincinnati Parks will host a slew of park events like Rapid Run Friday Fun Days, held between July 11 and Aug. 1; Kennedy Heights Park Summer Fun Music & Art Wednesdays, held between June and August; Mt. Echo Riverfest West, held on Aug. 31 and Seasongood Square Back to School Carnival on Aug. 2
- Youth workforce development — Cincinnati Parks' Green Team will offer job training opportunities to approximately 60 teens this summer
- Cincinnati Parks open skating — Between May 30 and Aug. 31, the organization will host open skating on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at various times
