Bazookas? No, it is not that bad. A .45 auto? Wouldn't be caught without one.
I have lived downtown now for about three years.
I often chuckle at the foolish comments made by folks who are frightened to come downtown, yet have little clue as to the dynamic and exciting opportunities that exist.
Yeah, there is poverty. Welcome to life. The difference is that in the burbs few have to stare poverty in the face - it's uncomfortable when you come downtown and see there is abject poverty in some parts and that just starts tripping class guilt all over the place.
Yeah, there are people panhandling. Again, welcome to life. Please, the Boy Scouts schlepping popcorn and band students hawking their cheese and sausage so they can go on a useless trip don't compare?? 
...I used to be a Boy Scout and a band nerd, so I speak from experience. Why isn't that panhandling?!
Yeah, there is crime; last I checked, there's violent crime and crimes against property throughout the region (them there meth labs seem to be rampant throughout Clermont County). Yet, sociologically speaking, crime is CONCENTRATED in urban areas. Even still crime is not the exclusive burden of the downtown area.
There's a great deal of positives downtown; but, the city has to break the cycle (as do the people) and be part of the solution; the media have to stop contributing to an inflated perception that all of us carry 'bazookas' and that downtown is a war zone; and, many suburbanites may want to consider that sheltered lives are not always the best nor fullest lives for them or their children to lead.
The number of poor families living within Cincinnati increased slightly - from 21 percent to 25 percent...
In the suburbs, poverty increased from 7.1 percent to 9.4 percent, a jump mirrored by national trends...
Liz Carter, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul, said residents shouldn't be surprised by the report's findings. "A lot of the work we do is out in the suburbs," she said. "It's exactly in those areas where a lot of people are thinking that the poor people are all downtown and far away from me."
Clermont County is one area where St. Vincent de Paul's calls for help are increasing...
More here (from the Enquirer, ironically enough).
Safe Cincinnati just recorded its 82nd and 83rd murder. Congratulations to Safe Cincinnati for setting this honorable record! It seems to me the perception isn't all that off from reality. In certain parts of the city you need a bulletproof vest.
CincyJeff,
You are ignorant. You have no clue, and it is rather clear you don't go into the city much if you are going to say that.
If you want to be a troll, I won't stop you, but you have to admit you act like a prejudiced twit with comments such as that.
CincyJeff, of those 83 shootings, how many occured downtown?
It is unfair to single downtown out because some of the surrounding neighborhoods have problems.
CincyJeff,
How many of those homicides were drug related?
How many of those homicides were between two acquaintances?
Answers those 2 questions and then get back to me.
Philadelphia just had its 403rd, but Center City is not a scary place to be.
Downtown is safe. Many parts of OTR are at best safe and at worst, uncomfortable. But I've never been to another city where the central business district and one of the most troubled neigborhoods were right next to each other. Baltimore, maybe, but there's nothing flattering about using Baltimore as a measuring stick, in terms of either bad crime or good downtown.
Also, the safety of downtown vs. the vibrancy of downtown are technically two separate issues (at least, once you accept downtown is safe). Until you no longer have to cross a river to another state to see a movie or visit a big bookstore, it's perfectly valid to me for someone to say Indy is better.
I'm not sure I understand this effort to downplay the record number of homicides by dismissing them as being mostly drug-related. I guess if these goons all have perfect aim and never commit any drug-related crimes such as robbery, etc. the rest of us can feel completely safe as they slowly eradicate each other.
The true reality probably isn't as bad as some perceive, but it's also worse than a lot of these apologists are willing to admit.
I love that once again Griff is trying to make the crime issue a race issue. As always, I won't have anything to do with tying the crime problem to any one race or any group of races.
Hide behind whatever you want, but the fact remains that Cincinnati has just set a record for murder. There isn't just a perception of crime in this town, it is a reality too. 83 murders and counting.
Oh yeah, I'm downtown the majority of days in a year and I lived there for years.
"I'm not sure I understand this effort to downplay the record number of homicides by dismissing them as being mostly drug-related. I guess if these goons all have perfect aim and never commit any drug-related crimes such as robbery, etc. the rest of us can feel completely safe as they slowly eradicate each other." - Matt Future
True, but what are your chances of being murdered if you do not associate with drug dealers or people that decide to make money the quick way?
In other words, what percentage of the 89 murders were killed by stray bullets?
All one would need to do is listen to a police scanner overnight to realize what a shithole the city has become.
What percentage of the record murder count in Cincinnati in 2006 were black? Looking at that number, you should be able to say (with Griff) if you ain't buying drugs and you is white, you is safe in Cincinnati. White people should be flocking downtown -- Oh wait, they already do, they have things called jobs and come downtown every day to make something called money. Yet, unless they want to shop at CVS or Walgreens, a third rate Saks or a dying Macy's, not much for them to spend that money on.
JH,
You don't got to plays much do you? Or Museums? Or Concerts? Or like to eat at nice resturants?
Plenty of things to spend your money on in and around Downtown.
If you want to take a date to see a show, I can make several(read three or four on weekend nights) recommendations.
Now, if you don't like to think, and fall alseep unless there is someone screaming about who hit whom with a chair on Wrestlemania XVI, then no, there is nothing for you to do downtown, please stay away. We don't have much room for over-sized pick-up trucks in the parking garages anyway.
"You don't got to plays much do you? Or Museums? Or Concerts? Or like to eat at nice resturants?"
You can't do those things every night. Not to mention that the nice restaraunts are lacking downtown these days...seems there are fewer and fewer.
The good museums aren't even downtown.
"All one would need to do is listen to a police scanner overnight to realize what a shithole the city has become."
Meaningless point. What would you hear if you listened to police scanners in let's say ... Chicago, Philly, Indy, etc ...
"You can't do those things every night."
You're just not looking hard enough.
Yes, you can do those things every night. Hell Monday's you can go the CAC for FREE!!!!!!!
However, who is saying you go out every night? I go out a lot, but not every night, and I do stay closer to home on off nights.
If you don't come downtown and do stuff either once a week or a couple times a month either you are lazy or you need to get a better job so you can afford to pay for a night out once in while.
True. Cincinnati just set a record for homicides in 2006 at 83. That is fact and no one is arguing that. However, do not ignorantly translate this statistic in your own warped opinion to argue that DOWNTOWN is dangerous. I believe there were 2 murders in the CBD last year. 2 murders. Hell, I think there were 2 murders in Hyde Park last year too. For someone to say that Fountain Square and the surrounding blocks are dangerous is absurd. If you are afraid of walking from dinner at Palomino to catch a show at The Aronoff and then meet some friends for drinks at McFaddens then stay in the suburbs. You can grab a bite at Applebee's, drive to the Mega Cinema to catch "March of The Penguins" and then drive home to have a drink, alone, safe and sound in your cookie cutter Drees neighborhood. Whatever makes you happy.
Meaningless point. What would you hear if you listened to police scanners in let's say ... Chicago, Philly, Indy, etc ...
But that's not the point, now is it? We live here, in Cincinnati USA, not Indy, Chi Town, etc.
There is more to safety than fear of murder. As O'Dell Owens likes to say, stay away from drugs and your chances of being killed are slim to none.
Safety is walking down the street without sexual or threatening comments being made at you. Safety is walking your dog without bottles being thrown your way or jerks crossing the street behind you because you crossed the street to avoid them. Safety is feeling like you can walk to get coffee without your pepper spray in hand. These are things I deal with every day here.
Cincy used to be a safe place. I miss the days when the only thing I had to deal with was a little panhandling. I have never feared murder here. I doubt the subarbanites fear being killed when driving into the city. It's all the other stuff; the quality of life stuf that causes the problems.
And to agree with the other posters's comments, yes, this city has become a shit hole. Sad.
"Safety is walking down the street without sexual or threatening comments being made at you. Safety is walking your dog without bottles being thrown your way or jerks crossing the street behind you because you crossed the street to avoid them. Safety is feeling like you can walk to get coffee without your pepper spray in hand."
... I AGREE! And thank God we can do that in DT Cincy!
My wife walks to Findlay Market from downtown. I lived in downtown. You my friend, are a pussy ... no if ands or buts about it.
Grow some balls and step outside your door, or if you are a woman then listen to the other women (of the middle class) and enjoy what they are enjoying ... a non-conforming lifestyle without fear.
Be quiet CincyJeff, the adukts are trying to talk. But what do you expect from a guy that was a doorman at a two-bit hotel for years?
As disturbing as the record number of homicides is, I think the number of gunshot wounds has quadrupled or something over the last 4 or 5 years. Again I guess that doesn't matter since they're probably mostly all druggies, right? At least not until they break into your car or house to finance their addiction. I'm sure they all have health insurance to pay their hospital bills too.
As the city cops who work in and around Clifton at night are fond of saying... "We have one in a box(dead criminal) and one in a cage(criminal in jail)". "It doesn't get much better"...
Come on up to Columbus,we just hit 102!
"Come on up to Columbus,we just hit 102!"
I know you mean well, Columbus Citizen, but if a Cincinnatian were to live in a city that hit 102, they would assume Armageddon were taking place.
Thanks for the offer though!
That'll look great on the cover of the 2007 Chamber of Commerce publications:
Cincinnati: 19 less people were killed here than Columbus.
You Said: Grow some balls and step outside your door, or if you are a woman then listen to the other women (of the middle class) and enjoy what they are enjoying ... a non-conforming lifestyle without fear.
I say: You are so naive. Go ahead and continue to stick your head in the sand. Have you ever been the victim of a violent crime? I doubt it.
I have...and my point to my post was that while I don't let the city's crime issues change my activities, it does change how I go about them.
And yes, I am a woman. And I'll bet I have more balls than you ever will.
"True, but what are your chances of being murdered if you do not associate with drug dealers or people that decide to make money the quick way?"
Non-violence advocate becomes city's 84th murder victim. Anything else you want to say about Safe Cincinnati?
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pb...NEWS01/
61230003
The violence that Richard D. Muhammad tried to stop on Cincinnati’s streets has claimed his life.
The community advocate was found shot to death Friday night at the Sycamore Hotel at 7759 Reading Road in Roselawn. He was Cincinnati’s 84th homicide victim in 2006, a record-breaking year for homicides in the city.
He will be remembered today during the 100 Male March, which starts at 9 a.m. in Walnut Hills, Madisonville and Avondale. The marches will give the community an opportunity to speak out against crime and violence in the city.
Muhammad, 42, was a key organizer of CeaseFire Cincinnati, a community initiative to reduce gun violence in Avondale, and worked for the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission as an outreach worker in Walnut Hills.
Robots!
Jeff, if Richard Muhammed was killed by organised crime (as was Bates, as was Oba) then it IS drug-related. Which was the coroner's point--not that anybody bothered to read the article--that all of these murders aren't random shootings, they're people getting whacked.
So the question then becomes, why are gangland-style shootings on the increase? I want to know what Dale Mallory thinks the answer might be.
Whoever made the comment about listening to police bands--congratulations. That's the craziest fucking thing I'll hear today.
And to the person who commented about CPD not minding having one in a box? Hmmm. Maybe we oughtta be blaming CPD and Streicher for the fact that they so cavalierly murder citizens, then refuse to do their jobs for a couple years. I'm glad this an old fucking thread.
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