CINCINNATI — Over 35 letters written by different business owners along Main Street and nearby blocks in Over-the-Rhine paint a picture of rampant drug sales and use, prostitution, gambling and dangerous conditions for both employees and would-be patrons frequenting the area.
The letters, written between December and March, were sent to the Main Street Working Group and Greg Olson, CEO of Urban Sites. In total there are 45 different businesses represented in the letters, though some businesses are represented together into the same letter when they fall under the same owner.
The letters echo one another frequently, with business owners citing the same negative impacts to their livelihood and success on Main Street.
Most frequently referenced are frustrations with brazen drug sales and use along Main Street, an increase in prostitution, vandalism that often results in broken windows, loitering and open container violations.
"I arrived to work one morning to find a man being detained and searched by the police," wrote Carl Hunt, co-owner of Urban Transit. "He was seen smoking crack on the steps of Old St. Mary's and somebody called. While searching, his crack pipe was found, he was let go and I had to dispose of his crack pipe that the officers left on my step."
The Salvation Army's letter said its location on East Central Parkway has also been impacted, including being forced to ensure a male maintenance worker is available to escort employees to their cars when they leave for the day.
"While this is the right location for The Salvation Army, we have noticed an increase in crime and related activity over the last couple of years," wrote Major Timothy Lyle, with The Salvation Army. "Most days our maintenance crew does a sweep of the property to clean up litter, wash away urine and scoop human feces from the perimeter of our property. Drug paraphernalia is picked up and disposed of on a regular basis."
Lyle said the nonprofit has also had catalytic converters stolen from two of its box trucks.
Several of the business owners acknowledge in their letters that none of these crimes are inherently life-threatening for patrons and employees attempting to frequent their businesses.
However, they describe an intimidating and uncomfortable environment the crimes create, preventing staff members from feeling safe while at work and turning visitors away entirely.
"There is constant drug activity and loitering, which does not make our customers want to approach our storefront," wrote Darin Overholser with Cincy Shirts. "Our staff has arrived to find human feces in the doorway before we open."
The letter from Cincy Shirts said the business wouldn't renew its lease for its business at 1301 Main Street in April 2023 and would instead close the OTR location. While the business said the waning success of the Reds, parking availability for employees and simply outgrowing the space also played a part in the closure, Overholser wrote the rising crime in the area was also a factor.
In addition to business owners, those with community-based staples said they were also regularly impacted by crimes in the area.
"With the exception of inclement weather days, it is commonplace to see drug dealing transactions take place along the street and out of parked vehicles," wrote David Wimmel, facility manager at Old St. Mary's. "The individuals participating in these dealings seem to have no concern whatsoever of being discovered or reported."
Many of the letters remark that petty crimes in Over-the-Rhine, particularly around Main Street, have been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Business owners said they've seen those crimes rise steadily over the last few years, side-by-side with a decline in police presence.
"Yesterday was the first day in a while we've seen a consistent police presence around Main St., but that was due to the filming of Wise Guys at the Woodward Theatre," wrote Kent Wellington, with Graydon on Main, in January. "Hollywood is not back today on Main Street. Neither are the police."
Owners of short-term rental properties in the area attached comments left by out-of-town visitors who rented from them, claiming issues they experienced during their stay included late-night parties and noise coming from the street below. Liberty Hill Management, which operates six rentals near Main Street, said reviews from women and couples with children expressed particular discomfort.
"I was completely shocked that anyone would offer a higher-end rental in such a slum area," read one of the reviews.
"This is not a place to bring a family," read another.
Illegal parking in the area is another concern most business owners behind the letters expressed; they cited drivers parking illegally outside Main Street businesses and selling alcohol from the trunk or back seat. This results in crowds gathering that can sometimes contribute to escalated issues like harassment, open container violations and — in some instances — shootings.
In August, a mass shooting wounded 9 people along Main Street after two groups got into a fight and bullets began flying. CPD said at least two individuals involved in the fight pulled out firearms and exchanged gunfire near the intersection of Main and Woodward streets.
At least 15 rounds were fired, investigators said.
Just a few blocks away, on McMicken Street in Over-the-Rhine, four people — including two teens and a 10-year-old — were wounded at the end of May by bullets when two people fired shots from a moving vehicle.
Police have not announced any arrests for either of those shootings.
Working toward a solution
Despite this, Cincinnati Police District 1 Captain Matthew Hammer said CPD data shows violence is decreasing along Main Street.
In late August 2022, CPD gave Main Street a violence score of 208. By late April 2023, Main Street was given a score of 105.
Hammer said a score of 0 would indicate an excellent result, while anything above 75 is particularly concerning. The score is compiled from various indicators of violence, including shootings and calls of shots fired in the area.
"There are not many spaces in Cincinnati which are higher than 75," he said. "When we're over that number, that's something that we continue to pay very close attention to."
He also addressed business owners' concerns about a decrease in police presence: Hammer said patrols have been increased in the Main Street area on Friday and Saturday nights.
He said police are focused on increasing visibility, while also working to add more cameras.
"The number of resources that have been necessary from the police department to attempt to manage issues on Main Street have been significant," he said. "If we were to continue along the same path without continuing to identify other ways to improve public safety and prevent crime in the future, then that consistent demand on police resources would really become harder and harder each and every day."
The Over-the-Rhine Working Group has been working on just that, by focusing on improving public spaces and attracting new businesses to the area.
"When you have great new tenants and folks who really want to be a part of that community, revitalizing those spaces and making it their home, they're not just there to make money," Olson said. "They're there to be a neighbor."
Olson said solutions won't come overnight, but believes things are getting better. In a council committee meeting Tuesday, he urged city leaders to continue their investment in the process.
"I believe that based on my experience, it is getting better," said Ian Moreau, who owns Moreau Sewing Unlimited on Main Street.
About a year ago, Moreau said gun violence hit close to home. He was sitting outside his shop when he heard a gunshot from a nearby car.
"When I looked back out through the window, I noticed that there was a child that got shot," he said.
While the incident was disturbing, he said hasn't lost hope for Main Street, especially if businesses work together.
"There is a lot of good things that are happening in OTR," he said. "And I believe it's my responsibility to talk more about that than the negative."
You can read all the letters written by business owners in the PDF below:
Letters From OTR Business Owners by WCPO 9 News on Scribd
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