CINCINNATI — Community members, advocates and city leaders gathered Tuesday night at the Holloman Center for Social Justice to discuss a recent report examining racial disparities in Cincinnati Police Department stops.
The forum, hosted by the Cincinnati NAACP and Urban League Greater Southwestern Ohio, marked the latest public conversation surrounding the Campaign Zero report released in June. The report analyzed CPD contact card data from 2009 through 2025 and found Black people were stopped, searched and subjected to force at disproportionately higher rates than white people.
According to the report, Cincinnati police officers stopped Black people 3.4 times more often than white people in 2025. Since 2009, Black people were also 2.1 times more likely to be searched and 1.9 times more likely to have force used against them.
Tuesday’s meeting included panel discussions and breakout conversations, with residents sharing concerns about accountability, transparency and whether city leaders are doing enough to address the disparities.
WATCH: What to know about Tuesday's public forum on the Campaign Zero report
The report, released in June, received pushback from leaders like Ken Kober, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Queen City Lodge 69. He previously told us he took issue with the process behind the report, saying CPD and city officials were excluded from the report's development.
Campaign Zero Executive Director DeRay Mckesson said the goal is to bring about reforms and close the disparity gap. Tuesday's meeting plays a role in that effort.
Campaign Zero previously released recommendations for CPD, centering on a variety of aspects of policing, including when misdemeanor stops should be initiated, what use of force policies should be in place and how Cincinnati should utilize contact card data.
Community leaders said it is important for people to share their thoughts and questions about the report, even as the city looks to conduct its own third-party review of the data.
"Whether one agrees with every aspect of the report’s methodology or not, the disparities identified cannot simply be dismissed — they deserve careful examination and a thoughtful response," David Whitehead, Cincinnati NAACP president, wrote in part in a statement when the report was first released. "When trust is weakened, public safety suffers for everyone. The Cincinnati NAACP is not interested in assigning blame. We are interested in accountability, transparency, and solutions."
Some attendees questioned why police data and oversight efforts appeared disconnected, while others said the city has made progress compared to previous decades.
“We used to look at 1995 to 2001,” community activist Damon Lynch said during the meeting. “We were not talking about being stopped. We were talking about Black men being shot.”
City leaders acknowledged shortcomings in oversight and outlined several steps they say are now being taken in response to the findings.
“As a city, we dropped the ball,” Cincinnati City Council member Scotty Johnson said. “Not making sure we kept up with that.”
Interim Cincinnati Police Chief Adam Hennie said the department already has systems in place to monitor officer conduct, including use-of-force incidents and complaints, but acknowledged some review processes had not been consistently followed.
Leaders also said police contact cards will now be reviewed quarterly moving forward.
Campaign Zero leaders have said the goal of the report is to push for reforms and rebuild trust between police and the community.
Still, some residents left Tuesday’s forum skeptical meaningful change would happen.
“For me, I don’t see no change coming,” one resident said during the meeting. “I don’t have faith anymore.”
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