State, Cincinnati partner on initiatives to crack down on crime

The state is launching new partnerships with Cincinnati officials aimed at keeping the public safe and cracking down on violent criminals. 

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will start working directly with the Cincinnati Police to implement data-driven “violent crime reduction initiatives.” By leveraging insights from the Cincinnati Crime Gun Intelligence Center, authorities will focus their efforts on areas where crime is surging.

The state patrol will also provide aerial support via its Aviation Unit, which responds to more than 1,000 calls for support from local agencies statewide each year. In Cincinnati, aerial crews will focus on searching for criminal suspects and mitigating vehicle pursuits. 

The Ohio Investigative Unit, which enforces Ohio’s alcohol laws, will target those who illegally carry weapons and commit crimes on the premises of liquor establishments in high-crime areas.

“Every city in this state has a relatively small number of violent criminals who cause 80-90% of the violence,” Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said during a press conference, per WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. “These are the individuals that we are going after, and these are the individuals that we need to get off the street.

“The average citizen who’s going about their business will not notice any difference … but our experience has been in every city that we have done this that we have some real, real results,” DeWine added, per the station’s report.

The Queen City has become a flashpoint for public safety in the state following a July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati, which went viral as bystanders opted to record it rather than call police.

In the aftermath of the viral beatdown, which took place at West Fourth and Elm streets in downtown Cincinnati, authorities charged at least eight people in connection with the fight, including one who was nabbed in Georgia.

“When we talk about public safety, the stakes are high, sometimes tragically high,” Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said during the briefing, per WLWT-TV. “The cost can be dire, especially for the innocent. That’s why we must get this right.

“The management of crime was never meant to be easy,” the police chief added. “And it was never meant to be done alone. It demands collaboration. It demands partnerships as steadfast and dynamic as the threats we face. And it demands the ability to pivot at the speed of lightning, because that’s how fast crime can change.”

Cincinnati police will also join the U.S. Marshals’ Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team. The team is composed of local, state and federal agencies, including the state patrol, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s Adult Parole Authority.

“We’ve dispatched this state support to other cities in the past, and we’ve seen great results,” DeWine said in a release. “We are confident that, through this partnership effort, these violent crime reduction initiatives will make a difference in Cincinnati.

In a statement, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval also expressed his appreciation for the support, WBNS reported. In the wake of the slugfest, critics blasted Pureval for not initially commenting on the fight.

Additionally, on Monday, the Cincinnati City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee agreed to allocate an additional $5.4 million for public safety, WVXU reported.