CINCINNATI — After a summer marked by violence and community concerns, data shows downtown Cincinnati has seen significant improvements in public safety.
Overall crime dropped 31% in July from a June peak and has been steadily declining every month since.
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey, Cincinnati Police Interim Chief Adam Hennie and State Patrol Colonel Charles Jones will address the success of recent crime reduction efforts at a press conference Thursday.
It will mark the first time McGuffey has spoken directly about her office's specific contributions to the downtown safety initiative that began in June with a comprehensive approach involving enforcement, technology and community programs.
McGuffey spoke briefly at an Aug. 1 press conference announcing new partnerships to crack down on crime, but did not detail how the sheriff's office would provide support.
"I'm proud to continue a strong partnership with the city," McGuffey said at the press conference. "Every resident who lives or works in this city will feel the impact."
We learned at a later press conference from Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval that deputies would help Cincinnati police officers with walking patrols in designated areas of downtown and Over-the-Rhine.
At the time, two deputies were tasked with manning Court Street in the afternoons and evenings.
WATCH: Reported crime in downtown Cincinnati has been on a steady decline since June
"It doesn't feel like there's an officer on every corner; however, I think we're seeing a marked increase in perception of safety downtown. People look around. They see police officers, they see our sheriffs walking or on bike patrols. They're approachable. They're talking to residents. They're going into businesses," said Adam Naab, who serves as president of the Downtown Residents Council.
The Cincinnati Police Department deployed a new street-crime task force the week of June 23, using Police Visibility Overtime and directing extra patrols in hotspot neighborhoods through July and August. After a high-visibility downtown fight on July 26, the city expanded SWAT and Community Disorder Response Team presence at weekend events and stepped up curfew enforcement.
The city also rolled out drones as first responders and expanded aerial support beginning in late June, while implementing targeted restrictions on red bike and e-scooter availability in Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District as crime prevention measures.
City Council approved $150,000 for West End camera expansion in September, part of broader technology investments.
The comprehensive strategy included prevention work through expanded summer youth programming, including Rec @ Nite and park partnerships running from early June into August.
State and federal partnerships to assist local enforcement were announced publicly on Sept. 9, with Gov. DeWine and city partners detailing funding moves for overtime, cameras and other resources approved by the council.
The efforts have faced some criticism, with residents and community leaders saying there was too much focus on downtown and Over-the-Rhine rather than other neighborhoods. Some civic groups have accused officials of "cherry-picking" data to highlight successes.
Implementation challenges remain, including staffing shortages and debates over enforcement versus prevention approaches that will affect long-term results.
While pleased with the progress, Naab hopes leaders can maintain the momentum beyond the typical summer crime spike.
"How do we ensure this isn't just a short-term fix on a longer-term problem when we know that every summer we see a crime spike in our neighborhood?" Naab said.
Thursday's press conference plans to outline statistics from the collaborative effort and detail ongoing partnerships between local and state law enforcement. Agency leaders plan to discuss how the community can feel safe and remain encouraged to attend downtown events and patronize local businesses, particularly as the area enters the busy holiday season.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
