CINCINNATI — City officials call gun violence an "epidemic" in Cincinnati. After a drive-by shooting that killed 11-year-old Dominic Davis, some on city council said they feel Cincinnati as a whole could do more to address not only gun violence but trauma — noting something needs to change.
Council member Meeka Owens is proposing a 60-day pilot program called "Rapid Response."
Owens' proposal says in part, "The administration prepare a report within the next sixty days to identify ways to coordinate a rapid response pilot that coordinates across city agencies and external organizations to immediately deploy needed resources to a community where gun violence has occurred."
"Everybody was moved by this," said council member Scotty Johnson. "This did send a message that we've got more to do collectively."
"For me, it was knowing that we lost a life of a child, it didn't sit well with me," said Owens.
Owens said the "Rapid Response" plan is similar to how the city would respond to natural disasters. Not only would emergency responders be on scene, but so would social workers and mental health counselors who would be with people who've experienced trauma.
"Critical stress de-briefing, more social workers, building capacity, what does that like to do sooner versus later," Owens said. "We know that there is mental health and substance abuse and all of these other issues that our law enforcement can't be the only ones that are responding to it, we know we have other resources in the city to do that."
This program comes with several questions. Owens did say they're working out the specifics including who would respond, how many people, which groups would be involved and how they would use the estimated $1 million needed for the 60-day pilot program.
"Is that more staffing? Social work need? What is the coordination? What is going to get us to a rapid 24-hour response?" Owens said.
While there are still details that are uncertain, the messages of love and encouragement continue to stand out on Bent Drive and Jones Street in the West End as the community continues to recover from its most recent bout of trauma.
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