CINCINNATI — Throughout the summer, Cincinnati city leaders made various efforts to prevent violent crime in the city. Many of those initiatives primarily focused on the downtown area.
But not everyone is convinced city leaders are concentrating on the right areas.
In Over-the-Rhine, there have been 20 shootings this year, according to data from the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD). But data shows that a majority of those shootings have happened near Grant Park.
It's a problem that OTR community leader John Donaldson said needs to be addressed.
"(The) 500 feet around this park is where we have most of our homicides and our shootings," Donaldson said.
WATCH: Where Donaldson said city leaders need to prioritize crime prevention
Donaldson has been the Grant Park Watch Block captain for roughly 20 years.
"I keep an eye on the area, I work with the neighbors, I coordinate with the police and work on safety initiatives," Donaldson said.
Some of those initiatives have included adding more lights to certain streets and efforts to prevent things like drug deals.
Still, in an area that has battled crime issues, he said there are only two city cameras.
Donaldson told us he's seen a lot of changes over the years, including more kids committing crimes. Donaldson said he believes that's largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"With the schools locking their doors, the kids really had nothing to do but to walk the streets, and we're seeing that now," Donaldson said.
He said that throughout his years living and helping out in the neighborhood, one thing has remained a constant issue: crime.
"We've got open air drug dealing, we've got out of control homelessness," Donaldson said.
Donaldson reached out to us after he saw our story talking to residents about the decision to place Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge on administrative leave.
He said he thinks it was the right decision, but he also said he believes the responsibility falls on everyone.
"At the end of the day, leadership, and that goes all the way up to the mayor, needs to be accountable," Donaldson said.
The city has made efforts to improve public safety. Last month, the city announced a partnership with the state to bring in Ohio State Highway Patrol officers twice a month to help CPD officers.
However, Donaldson said he thinks the city should bring in help from the state more often.
"We really need to accept all of the help we can get if we can't address it," Donaldson said.
Donaldson said city leaders also need to concentrate on the area near the St. Francis Seraph Church. He said the area has seen a lot of open-air drug dealing, concerns that our I-Team has reported on multiple times.
"We're allowing a large homeless camp next to St. Francis, which we know they're buying illegal drugs, but we're allowing that to go on," Donaldson said.
He also believes members of City Council should invest more in the area. Donaldson feels adding more community activities will go a long way toward reducing violence.
"It's a lot of work down here, and we need some help," said Donaldson.
