CINCINNATI — Residents in the West End will soon see a new public safety push after clamoring for an expanded network of Cincinnati Police surveillance cameras in their neighborhood to curb crime.
Of the $5.4 million in public safety funding approved on Wednesday by the Cincinnati City Council, $150,000, or around 2.8%, will be put toward expanding the West End's camera system.
According to a CPD spokesperson, talks of implementing more cameras in the area are in the early stages. Police will use crime data to "guide decisions" on where to place them. More information on the implementation strategy is not yet available.
WATCH: Community leaders react to West End camera expansion plan
"I think we've been asking about it for the last four or five years," Chris Griffin, vice president of the West End Community Council said. "It won't completely stop the gun violence, but I will say, it gives people a peace of mind. People are scared. I'm scared. I don't let my kids outside."
There have been 13 shootings in the West End in 2025, as of Sept. 7, according to CPD crime data. Of the 13, nine have occurred since June.
"There were some people on Elizabeth Street that just recently moved [out] because bullets had hit the facade of their building, and they had two young children," Noah O'Brien, West End Community Council executive board member, said. "There are a lot of people like that, if they can escape, they do escape."
The unsolved murder of 11-year-old Domonic Davis also looms over the community. While added cameras may not have stopped it, Griffin said he believes it could have led investigators to a suspect.
"Maybe (Domonic) wouldn't be an unsolved murder," he said.
We reached out to Issac Davis, Domonic's father, who said in a statement, in part, "Now, with the cameras finally being installed, it feels like our voices are beginning to be heard."
"We all know that cameras alone won't solve every problem in our community. They won't erase the pain of families who have already lost loved ones. They won't immediately fix the deeper issues we're facing," he said. "But what they will do is give us a layer of protection we haven't had before. They will bring accountability. And they will give parents just a little more peace of mind when their children step outside to play."
With an upcoming election less than two months away, O'Brien questioned the timing of the action from city council.
"I know for a fact that the election is influencing this," he said. "There is a sense this time that with the highlight of violent crime in Cincinnati and the national exposure for violent crime, that they need to start being more proactive."
The funding plan passed with a 6-3 vote. Council members Victoria Parks, Scotty Johnson and Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney voted against the measure.
Those on city council have long maintained public safety is a top priority and one they are focused on year-round.
Read Issac Davis' full statement here:
"I stand here today with a sense of relief and gratitude. For so long, we in the West End have been asking, waiting, and hoping for change. And now, with the cameras finally being installed, it feels like our voices are beginning to be heard. This step may seem small to some, but for us—for parents, for families, for neighbors—it is huge.
We all know that cameras alone won't solve every problem in our community. They won't erase the pain of families who have already lost loved ones. They won't immediately fix the deeper issues we're facing. But what they will do is give us a layer of protection we haven't had before. They will bring accountability. And they will give parents just a little more peace of mind when their children step outside to play.
As a mother, as a father, as a neighbor, as someone who loves this community deeply, I can say this: the worry we carry for our children's safety is heavy. Every time they leave the house, there's a part of us that wonders if they will make it back home. No parent should have to live with that kind of fear. These cameras may not erase that fear completely, but they lift some of the weight from our shoulders. And sometimes, even the smallest bit of relief means everything.
I believe this change will help us prevent another tragedy. It may help save another family from the heartbreak of losing a child and never getting answers. And for that, I am grateful.
But let me be clear: this is not the finish line. This is just the beginning. We still have so much work to do in the West End. Our children deserve safe streets, opportunities to thrive, and a community where they don't just survive but truly live. These cameras are a step in the right direction, but they should also be a reminder that our community's fight for safety, for resources, and for respect is not over.
So tonight, I just want to say thank you—to those who fought for this, to those who finally listened, and to my neighbors who never stopped speaking up. This is our community, and together we will keep pushing for more. Because our children deserve better. We deserve better. And the West End deserves to be seen, to be heard, and to be safe.
I just want to say how thankful I am to see some real change finally coming to the West End. The cameras being installed are long overdue, and for the first time in a while, it feels like our voices are truly being heard. I'm not saying this will solve everything we face as a community, but it is a big step toward protecting our children and giving parents a little more peace of mind when their kids are outside playing.
As parents, we carry so much weight on our shoulders, worrying about our children's safety. Knowing these cameras are going up lifts a little bit of that burden. It makes me hopeful that maybe this will help prevent another tragedy, another life lost with no answers.
We all know there's still a lot of work to do in the West End, but this moment shows progress. It shows that our concerns matter. And for me and my family, that means a lot. This is not the finish line, but it is a powerful step in the right direction, and I pray it's only the beginning of the change we've been waiting for."
