CINCINNATI — Residents and employees in downtown Cincinnati said they're still concerned about the violent attacks caught on camera early this year.
"The parents need to get their kids. Period. They just need to get their kids. That's who it is ... the kids," said Janay Tucker, a mother who works downtown. "I got a 9-year-old and a 12-year-old. I'll be damned if my kids be outside running around with these kids down here."
Tucker works at Green District, the business whose cameras caught footage of teens attacking a man near E. 6th and Walnut streets on Jan. 23. The next day, there was another attack blocks away from their business on E. 5th and Main.
So far, Cincinnati police have arrested four people — including three children who are under the age of 18. Tucker is worried these attacks will continue unless parents step up.
"They just think it's OK. They really do, they really think it's OK and I don't think it's OK because if it was my child, you'd be at home getting your (expletive) beat," Tucker said. "I'm sorry, but that is what it would just be."
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Tucker said she sees too many kids during school hours hanging around downtown. It's something that's also caught the attention of Cincinnati's Downtown Residents Council and its president Jackie Bryson.
"They just have a lot of idle time on their hands down there, and so I think that's when the mischief escalates and elevates and we get into situations like we've seen over the last couple of weeks," said Bryson.
Bryson is also concerned about these videos scaring away potential downtown customers.
"I want people to feel comfortable to be able to go into those businesses and not be looking over their shoulder," Bryson said.
Tucker said she is worried if the attacks continue downtown that there will be unintended consequences.
"They gon' mess around and rob the wrong person. You don't know what that man got on him. He could have a gun, he could have a knife, he could stab one of them kids, he could shoot one of them kids," Tucker said.
Since those January attacks, police have stepped up patrols. Iris Roley and members of Cincinnati's Urban League have also been at Government Square meeting with kids and finding out what they need. On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., they will be presenting their report to the city's public safety & governance committee.
