Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the only neighborhood watch groups active in Cincinnati are in Madisonville, Mt. Washington and College Hill. WCPO regrets the error.
Cincinnati neighborhood leaders gathered on Monday to discuss a possible solution to the growing amount of violent crime in the city over the last year: neighborhood watch programs.
"We encourage all residents to become involved in the protection of their neighborhood," said Eric Franz, a sergeant with the Cincinnati Police Department. "It is your neighborhood. Take it back."
Step by step, CPD walked through the process of starting neighborhood watch programs, while offering tips to help people become more vigilant in their community.
"It certainly helps the police when people are able to give good descriptions, vehicle descriptions, they're able to tell us in real time what they observed," said Danita Pettis, a captain with CPD District 2. "I can't overemphasize the importance and significance of that."
The meeting was held at the Evanston Recreation Center and aimed at addressing recent violence surges in the neighborhood and the overall city.
The meeting was held in direct response to two deadly shootings that happened in mid-October, just a couple of blocks apart in Evanston.
"We have streets that have active neighborhood watches and they tend to be some of the more safer streets," said Brandon White, chair of safety committee for Pleasant Ridge Community Council.
