Melanie Bates: Public Safety is Cincinnati's #1 Issue

There should be no hesitation in agreeing that public safety is the infrastructure for a high quality of life in the city of Cincinnati, and really, all communities.

If people are afraid to walk our streets, they won't purchase homes in the city.

If people are not comfortable coming into our neighborhoods or downtown for entertainment and to conduct business, economic development efforts will be unsuccessful.

There are city ordinances and programs that, if enforced and implemented, will lead to an eventual elimination of crime. Please take note that I used the word elimination rather than reduction. Crime reduction often enables an outmigration of criminal activity to other neighborhoods and to first ring suburbs in Hamilton County. Although recently published crime statistics indicate a reduction in violent crime in Cincinnati, we are now seeing a rash of homicides in suburbs such as Silverton and Colerain Township. Public safety efforts must focus on eliminating crime, not just shifting it.

For instance, we have an ordinance in effect that requires landlords to evict criminals who have generated repeat calls for service. This ordinance has received scant enforcement. Look at it this way -- if you have a home alarm system and you have excessive false alarms, the city requires you to attend "alarm school" and/or pay fines. If there are repeat calls for service -- calls alerting law enforcement to criminal activity -- shouldn't there be a penalty for that behavior as well?

Hot spots of crime exist in every city neighborhood. Law enforcement and residents know these hot spots -- the areas that host criminal activity and generate repeat calls for service. Resources must be strategically focused across the city to eliminate activity at these hot spots.

A very small percentage of people are engaging in violent criminal activity. Everyone else needs to stand together and make these violent criminals know their criminal behaviors are not welcome in our city.