CINCINNATI — Dressed in Christmas outfits and jamming to music, thousands of patrons celebrated SantaCon at The Banks last Saturday.
The partying followed a record-high number of shootings and assaults in one of the most popular entertainment districts in Cincinnati.
"I am concerned about The Banks getting their increasing shootings and we'll probably leave here a little bit earlier than usual," Rose McCarthy said. "Because of the shootings, I think after midnight it's not as safe as it should be."
Since June, Cincinnati Police Department records show eight people have been wounded in seven separate shootings at The Banks and Smale Park.
The shootings happened between 11:27 p.m. and 3:35 a.m.
Three of the shootings occurred before 1 a.m., the cutoff time for drinking alcohol outside businesses at The Banks.
According to Cincy Insights data, the seven shootings in 2023 represent nearly half the shootings at The Banks and Smale Park during the last five years.
"These shootings are happening right in front of a police station," said Neal Sebastian, who owns the Street Corner Market at The Banks. "These individuals that are doing this obviously have complete disregard for the law."
Sebastian's surveillance cameras have documented some of the violence and fear experienced in the neighborhood, including a group assault on one of his employees working behind the counter in his store.
The store's outside camera has also recorded crowds fleeing after gunfire.
"They know there's cameras in here," Sebastian said. "They don't care."
The I-Team visited The Banks for several hours on two recent nights, staying as late as 1 a.m. Each time, there was a visible police presence.
Cincinnati Assistant City Manager Virginia Tallent said on some nights, special police units — including SWAT — have been at The Banks for added support.
"There's no question the city is taking this seriously and making sure that The Banks is a safe place for people that live there, play there, work there," Tallent said.
But Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils said it's clear The Banks needs more officers.
"You see these crowds that just aren't manageable for the number of patrol officers they have," Hils said. "They use a lot of overtime to try to keep the numbers up."
On Aug. 30, after five shootings in the previous two-and-a-half months, city officials met with police, The Banks Community Authority and local business owners for the first of two meetings to address violence in the area.
"There's no quick fix for this," Tallent said.
The collaboration between city leaders and The Banks resulted in a crime assessment report that revealed trends impacting public safety, illegal parking and car parties, crowds of youth, underage drinking, disorderly conduct, fights and shootings.
Sebastian said loitering outside of businesses was also a problem.
In response to concerns about that, outside tables and seating were removed along Freedom Way, according to the report.
Public seating was also reduced in the pedestrian plaza where large crowds gather near bars and restaurants.
Partiers celebrate Santacon at The Banks on Dec. 9, 2023
Police have used a portable light tower near the Street Corner Market "to increase visibility and deter loitering in the area," according to the report.
The CPD report also provides a breakdown of criminal activity, including the time and locations of different types of crime.
Tallent said the police department will receive an inventory of privately owned surveillance cameras at The Banks to help officers investigating crimes there.
Police have implemented a portable light tower adjacent to the Street Corner Market to increase visibility and deter loitering in the area.
CPD also recommended lighting improvements and landscaping changes to discourage crime and help police respond to incidents.
"The various things that they came up with was actually pretty cool to see," Holy Grail Tavern & Grille owner Jim Moehring said.
Moehring and Tracy Schwegmann, a representative of The Banks Community Authority, said the collaboration with police is making a difference.
"That kind of behavior isn't going to be tolerated," Schwegmann said. "It's not acceptable to folks down here."
Sebastian also said the collaboration with police and city officials was a good experience.
"The message that it sent me is that they care," he said. "Things have gotten better."
Many patrons told the I-Team they feel safe at The Banks. But most of them said the shootings made them more likely to leave the entertainment district earlier than in previous years.
Despite violent incidents, Moehring said the success of the Reds and Bengals is what drives his business.
"We had our biggest August because the Reds had a great baseball season," Moehring said. "It's been fantastic."
While many Cincinnati neighborhoods have seen huge reductions in violent crime in 2023, The Banks — and the downtown/riverfront area overall — had one of the biggest increases in the city.
CPD records show there's generally less violent crime in colder weather.
So it may not be until warmer weather returns to see if the changes at The Banks have a lasting impact on violent crime.
