Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. (Photo by Morgan Trau, WEWS.)
Following a viral brawl in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and federal officials are partnering with local law enforcement to fight violent crime.
Federal agencies including the U.S. Marshalls and U.S. Attorney’s office will step up pursuit of parole violations and firearm prosecutions.
Gov. Mike DeWine said this week during a news conference that highway patrol is helping bolster the Cincinnati Police Department.
“We will be providing, and have been providing, to different cities additional manpower and technology in specific circumstances where local authorities, frankly, could use some help,” DeWine said. “Our troopers, since I became governor, have partnered with law enforcement officers in a number of cities — Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Youngstown, Toledo, and now Cincinnati.”
In addition to helping police patrol hotspots, the patrol will be contributing air support to monitor suspects fleeing the scene of a crime.
DeWine emphasized federal law is “extremely, extremely tough” when it comes to defendants found with a gun illegally — an offense known having a weapon under disability.
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U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Dominick Gerace offered assurances that federal officials “care very deeply about local crime.”
“As governor DeWine mentioned, our federal charges carry stiff penalties,” Gerace said. “And we’ll bring those charges from investigations that occur or start at any level — local, state, or federal — and that includes investigations that come off of operations that result from the partnerships that are being announced today.”
The move to prioritize federal prosecution of gun crimes echoes a similar effort from former U.S. Attorney David DeVillers following a spike in homicides in Columbus five years ago.
In an aside, DeWine added, “I wish in the state of Ohio we had a law similar to that. This is not the day to get into that, but I will just say that I would again call upon our state legislature to enact a law similar to what is at the federal level.”
The governor has indeed urged lawmakers to impose new firearm restrictions — particularly after a mass shooting in Dayton’s Oregon district in 2019.
His appeals fell on deaf ears.
Meanwhile, DeWine has signed several measures loosening Ohio’s gun laws including arming teachers, permitless carry, and stand your ground legislation.
Pointing to the to the city’s crime gun intelligence center, Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said her department has long welcomed collaboration with other agencies.
Since the office launched in 2022, they’ve seen “double digit reductions in shooting victims,” she said.
Theetge described the partnership with state and federal officers as “a force multiplier” to build on what the city is already doing.
“We have more eyes, more hands and more hearts committed to the cause of safety,” she said.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said he welcomed the help. He said the city’s recent crime stats offer “a mixed message.”
According to a violent crime survey from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, in the first quarter of this year, Cincinnati’s incidents of homicide, rape, and aggravated assault were down compared to the prior year. Only robberies saw a modest increase.
But in the latest MCCA survey, which covers violent incidents through the end of June, homicides have shot up, now surpassing the amount in the first half of 2024. Robberies have pulled further ahead as well.
Still, Pureval insisted the city is making progress.
“Street level crimes like theft from cars and burglaries have dramatically dropped with property crimes now down year over year, city wide,” he said. “However, violent crime continues to be a challenge.”
The mayor stated violent crime overall is down, but they’re seeing increases specific areas like downtown and the Over-the-Rhine neighborhoods.
Regardless of the data, though, Pureval said he recognizes people don’t feel safe and that it’s incumbent on local leaders to address that.
“We are still working urgently on public safety,” he said. “While it’s important to be aware of the data, what’s also important is to continue to respond from concerns from the community, and that’s exactly what we continue to do.”
Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Nick Evans on X or on Bluesky.
