CINCINNATI — After witnessing what he describes as numerous violent incidents and disorderly conduct, a CEO said he is relocating his logistics company out of downtown Cincinnati.
Victor Louis, founder and CEO of One Logistics Network, says his employees no longer feel safe working downtown after nearly a decade at their current location.
"They don't want to come work down here anymore," said Louis.
Hear more from the Cincinnati CEO who is leaving downtown after 9 years:
Louis, a Cincinnati native, said he started his company downtown because of how vibrant it was, but over the years, that changed.
In 2019, he even purchased a condo in the Central Business District, but what came next, he described as disappointing after seeing a pattern of concerning behavior he and his employees had witnessed firsthand outside their downtown office.
"I've seen individuals carrying weapons. You name it. We've seen it. We've seen like just disorderly conduct, where people are yelling and screaming right outside our window," said Louis. "We recently had a person walk down the sidewalk, pull down their pants and proceed to defecate, right in front of all my employees."
Louis said a violent fight on July 26 that received national attention was just one of many incidents that contributed to his decision to move his 35-employee company to Blue Ash, where they hope to expand.
"We had another incident Over-the-Rhine on Wednesday, so it's not just this brawl that got national attention, but this is just a drop in the bucket. If the city cannot control the things that are manageable, like potholes, graffiti, vagrancy and drug use, how can we expect them to control violent crime?" said Louis.
WCPO 9 News recently analyzed downtown crime statistics and found 995 crimes reported so far this year, a 31% increase compared to the four-year average. Since Monday, that number has increased to 1,023 crimes reported in downtown Cincinnati.
In an open letter to city officials, Louis criticized what he called "a failure in leadership." When asked if any city council members had reached out to him about his concerns, Louis said, "No... No.. and I've made attempts."
I reached out to Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney for comment, but have not heard back yet.
Louis also stated that he and his employees do not feel valued for their contributions to the city.
"As our company grew and we began searching for a larger office space, I attempted to engage with city officials to explore possible incentives for remaining downtown," said Louis. "The response was disappointing. A representative came to visit us, dressed unprofessionally. I left the meeting without any clear direction or support. All I received was a form to fill out and a vague promise someone would get back to me."
He said his decision to move could have changed if the city's response had been better than what he received.
Louis also said the environment downtown has become inhospitable for businesses.
"It's not a business-friendly environment, it's no longer a business-friendly environment," said Louis. "If someone doesn't fix this, more businesses are going to leave."
