In the shadow of city hall: Downtown unruliness
While I’m getting things off my chest, here’s something else: Why aren’t there any cops keeping the peace on the west side of downtown after the bars shut?
I live within a few blocks of bars like Sully’s, the Lodge Bar, Madonna’s, Rockin’ Robins, and others. Until about 4AM on Sunday morning - after the bars closed on Saturday night - there was a constant stream of intoxicated people yelling, fighting, blasting music, carrying on, and generally making it impossible to sleep with the windows open. They took over the sidewalks and the streets, and set up camp in Piatt Park way after that space is supposed to be closed.
Speaking to neighbors about it, I’ve learned that this happens every Friday and Saturday night, and there is never a police presence to do anything about it.
If Cincinnati is serious about making downtown a sought-after place to live, the city needs to pull its finger out, stop acting small town, and get serious about making this a pleasant place to be. Doing nothing while gangs of drunked up thugs disturb the peace in an otherwise quiet and heavily populated area of town isn’t just unacceptable, it’s embarrassing. Downtown Cincinnati is not Manhattan, and the Mallory administration cannot expect people to fall overthemselves to live here even if it’s noisy and yucky.
We residents could afford to hire our own security if we weren’t already forced to pay the city to take care of it for us. What gives?
Filed under: Life
I think it’s a bit harsh to say that City Hall is “doing nothing” and “acting small town.” There have been huge drops in crime not only in downtown, but across the city. Due to the increased foot patrols, penalties, COP’s, police funding, etc…I don’t call that “doing nothing.” The city has also been expanding it’s ‘Operation Vortex’ program geared to cut back on violent and other serious crimes…I don’t know of too many small towns that take this kind of action, but maybe I’m wrong.
I agree that later hour patrols should be stepped up, and the concerns of downtown’s residents should be heard. But you must realize that there isn’t a money tree outside of City Hall, and those taxes you are “forced to pay,” pay for A LOT of other services that make the quality of life better for this region.
Another source that should be tapped is the Downtown Cincinnati Ambassadors; which recently announced lately shifts due to the changing economics downtown. However much of their focus is around Fountain Square, maybe it’s time for them to not only extend their hours but also their reach.
Hi Jackie,
I couldn’t agree more. I also live in this area and have noticed the same problems. Often these occur weekday evenings as well. Unfortunately, the thought seems to be that “once the businesses are closed, so is the police department.” The city has a repsonsibility to the many residents who live in this area; targeting these so-called “nuisance” crimes is one of the most significant reasons that NYC was able to turn the corner years ago. I am frequently astounded as to what I encounter on the streets day-to-day here. While I have seen the city make progress in the last year, there is much, much more to be done.
Randy, come down to where I live tonight or tomorrow night, anytime from 2AM onwards, and you’ll see what I mean when I say “doing nothing”. (Actually, the fun gets started before 2, but that’s when I think it gets ridiculous.)
Why the sneer quotes around “forced to pay”? If you know an option other than A) pay the taxes or B) go to jail and pay a fine, I’d love to hear it.
The fact is that the Cincinnati Police don’t have any competition, so while I am sure that most of the cops are hardworking people, the administration and planning doesn’t have much to lose if they don’t do their job - it’s not like a competitor is going to come in and make them look bad, is it?
I acknowledged the fact that there needs to be more done, but you’re ignoring the fact that your original post makes a flavorful claim like the City and Police Department are doing nothing about crime…when that couldn’t be further from the truth. Believe me I’ve been downtown (where you live, and elsewhere) many nights around that time frame; and like I said I understand the logical issues you bring up. Just don’t bash the City and claim they are doing “nothing” about it.
I put the quotes around it because it was a silly statement for you to make. Of course you’re forced to pay your taxes, and of course there is no privatization of public safety services…why you might ask. Well, a public safety department is in theory supposed to not have an agenda or favor a particular entity over another. Should you implement a privatized public safety system you throw that out the window and safety/security goes to the highest bidder. Personally I think that EVERYONE deserves equal protection under the law and equal protection from fear.
There is then the added bonus of the department(s) trying to appease it’s citizens to obtain approval (if you have a competitive public safety market). When government gives way to accommodating special interests (in a formalized manner) then we are in a truly screwed up situation. I understand you are ALL about the “free market” (quotations are there because there is NO truly free market in the world), but you must consider that it is simply not feasible in every aspect of society. If that’s an issue you wish to test, then fine…I just don’t want to be around for that test.
Randy, please re-read my post. I did not claim that nothing is being done about crime. I said that nothing is being done about the drunken disorderly groups who empty into the area surrounding Piatt Park after the bars close on Friday and Saturday nights.
I’m glad you at least admit that the agenda-less government is theoretical; in practice, as even the most virulent statist would be forced to admit, there has never been any such thing.
Also, I’m not talking about “bidding” for public safety…I’m talking about totally privatized policing. So the residents in my neighborhood, instead of being forced to pay the city to do a job it’s not doing for us, would take that money and hire a firm we choose. If they don’t perform, we go elsewhere. It’s something that is done in thousands of neighborhoods every day - not theory, but practice.
And you’re right, there is no 100 per cent pure free market, thanks to people who have drunk the Kool-Aid of big government. For shame.
(BTW, you cannot have big government AND a government not run by corporate interests and moneymen. As long as there are all those juicy contracts at stake, and as long as every industry is fodder for politicization, there will be companies and businessmen who are all too happy to pump all the money they can into making sure they have that fabled “agenda-free” government in their pockets.)
Jackie,
Randy brought up a good point about the ambassadors. Maybe you should address this topic at a sector group meeting. Maybe working with the police and your neighbors can help alleviate this problem.
http://www.downtowncincinnati.com/cleanandsafe/
Thanks, Kevin.