CINCINNATI — New surveillance cameras and police tactics like targeted patrols could be expanding into parts of Over-the-Rhine after nine people were injured in a shooting early Sunday morning.
Cincinnati police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting. While authorities look for at least two shooters, city and neighborhood leaders are hoping to quickly respond to the violence.
The city's real-time crime network and its high-definition cameras with optical zooms eight times stronger than a cell phone have led to arrests just hours after shootings or robberies. After visiting the White House in July, Mayor Aftab Pureval said he wanted to spend Cincinnati's American Rescue Plan money on cameras in the Central Business District. Councilman Scotty Johnson said they're considering OTR too.
"We have to make sure we're doing everything now, so next week we're not talking about 15 (shot) and then, by the grace of God nobody was killed this weekend, with somebody dying as a result of that," Johnson said.
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Just a few blocks from the shooting, police are in their eighth month of Place-Based Investigations of Violent Offenders, or PIVOT, strategy. With input from property owners and managers, officers target spots with patrols routinely dispatched there to discourage bad actors. At the same property, owners invest in warning signs and cameras.
While it's not a cure-all, violent crime fell 70% in the PIVOT area of OTR in the first six months.
"I'm really hopeful that many of the folks in the community will see this as an opportunity to double down on their efforts because we're not there yet," CPD Capt. Matt Hammer said.
City leaders see enough to expand the program and said the rest of OTR could be next in line. With ATF offering a reward for tips to solve the shooting, people who live and work here are more than ready for any investments in their safety.
"Just in case things like this ever happen again, we can quickly identify this person," said Maurice Wagoner, OTR community council president.
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