CINCINNATI — No city is immune to violent crime, but statistics show violent crime is declining in downtown Cincinnati.
According to Cincy Insights, violent crime has decreased in the first six months of the year over the last decade. The number of aggravated assaults, though, has increased.
There have been 10 aggravated assault reports this year. Four of them happened in The Banks. Cincy Insights reports there have been 29 violent crime reports this year and eight of those incidents happened in The Banks.
Recently, a Cincinnati police officer was struck with a metal pipe while responding to a reported robbery near Sixth and Elm. On July 8, 18-year-old Faith Parker was in court after she allegedly attacked a couple at The Banks. She is charged with disorderly conduct and assault.
Ennis Tait, senior pastor at New Beginnings Church of the Living God in Avondale, said in order to curb violence, the city needs to get to the root problem.
“Poverty is one of them, we’ve found that health disparities is another," Tait said. "We found that a lot of people out there are really suffer from trauma and now we’re starting to see the effects of that trauma play out in different ways."
He noted violence impacts communities differently.
“There are different effects for different communities and neighborhoods," Tait said. "What we have in Avondale, Bond Hill, Price Hill, East, Westwood is not going to be the same response you’re going to get in a Hyde Park or even downtown."
Pastor Tonya Sanderson at Shekinah Glory Community Ministry said she became a gun violence advocate after one event changed her life.
“My son, because of gun violence, took someone’s life in Kentucky and I’m currently raising his three children,” Sanderson said.
Sanderson acknowledges addiction and living in poverty played a role in some of the decisions she made and believes those decisions impacted her son. She said she would like to see more mentoring programs in schools.
“We need more people to get involved," Sanderson said. "If you made it out that does not mean if you come back to help you will get stuck in the community."
Sanderson said she believes the community is ready to make a change.
“I think the community is tired. They’re really tired, they’re now seeing that death now knocks on anybody’s door and they don’t want their loved ones to see that phone call,” she said.
Tait said violence can happen to anyone, and it’ll be on the community to help solve the problem.
“Police can only do what police can do but having community, individuals, community leaders involved in this work really makes the difference because the community voice, the moral voice is really the premise of why we do what we do,” said Tait
READ MORE
Couple attacked at The Banks: Victim speaks in court about 'traumatic' experience they allege happened
FOP president: Cincinnati officer needs reconstructive surgery after man attacks him with metal pipe
