CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Police Department has increased curfew sweeps after two 14-year-old boys were shot dead within weeks of one another.
Someone shot and killed 14-year-old Anthony Hinton near Grant Park in Over-the-Rhine on June 30. On Saturday, someone shot and killed Cameron Franklin, 14, on Storrs Street in Lower Price Hill. Hinton was shot and killed at about 6:15 a.m.; Franklin was killed just before midnight.
Now, police and city leaders are talking about how patrol can be ramped up. City councilmembers and community leaders will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the Evanston Recreation Center to talk about these efforts.
In Cincinnati, anyone under the age of 16 can’t be in public places between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to a city ordinance. Anyone between the ages of 16 and 18 can’t be in public places from midnight to 5 a.m.
Cincinnati police have already enhanced curfew enforcement in District 1 since Hinton’s death on June 30, according to Assistant Chief Paul Neudigate. District 1 encompasses Over-the-Rhine, Central Business District, Mt. Adams, Pendleton, Queensgate and the West End.
Neudigate released the following statement on enforcement:
“With the continuing tragic deaths of juveniles due to gun violence, we will be discussing more vigorous enforcement of the existing curfew law and whether that will be neighborhood/incident specific or a city-wide, all encompassing effort.”
City councilmember Jeff Pastor said the rash of shootings has been “extremely frustrating.”
“I mean, this is the second 14-year-old in less than a month,” Pastor said. “This gun violence, it’s happening late at night, early in the morning with these two murders.”
Anyone is welcome to attend Monday night’s meeting on curfews and gun violence, Pastor said.
