As leaders evaluate city budget, public concerned over 29 shootings in 10 days

May 07, 2023

CINCINNATI — After 29 people were shot over the span of the last 10 days in Cincinnati, city leaders shared plans to reduce gun violence, in part through funding increases from the proposed 2024-2025 budget.

"Everybody's very upset. I mean, it's maddening," said Cincinnati Vice Mayor, Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney.

Nine of those shootings happened over the weekend. Meanwhile, city leaders have been working to finalize the 2024-2025 biennial budget.

That budget draft, which breaks down proposed spending for the city's estimated $1.59 billion 2024 budget, currently includes a roughly $11.4 million increase to the Cincinnati Police Department budget.

Monday night, city council held a final public hearing for the budget and community members turned out to speak about where they felt money to cut down the amount of violence — especially violence involving youth — should be allocated.

"The need is now, the need is now for what we do right now," said Bill Bresser, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Cincinnati. "We have a waiting list currently at all of our sites. There were 500 kids that showed up today at Boys and Girls Clubs. You can't measure how many kids don't actually get messed up with the gun violence epidemic that's going on that go to the Boys and Girls Club."

Between Zoom speakers and community members who attended in person, 75 people signed up to speak at the public hearing. Some brought up concern about the frequency of shootings in Cincinnati recently and spoke about the need for more youth programs in the city.

One option to engage young people — a skate park — garnered support from multiple people.

"It's life or death for us, skating has saved my life in many ways," said resident Michael Brown. "Our future is our future, we're doing it for the kids."

Still, there's a lot of time for city leaders to consider the public's input before the city's budget has to be finalized in July.

"Almost a month passes between when the recommended budget was released until we'll pass it, so things happen in real time," said Reggie Harris, Cincinnati council member. "The public comment also provides a little nuance and shift to what we think, so we might say we might want to support our recreation and public comment will say 'here is the two things that you need to support.'"

Expanded funding for both new and existing programs in the city have been discussed by city leaders, even before the proposed budget was released, though not all of them are directed toward curbing violence or youth-involved violence.

"We can't police our way out of this violence, so it takes the police and the entire community, and so a lot of the projects that we are funding are community-led projects," said Kearney.

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval is recommending $500,000 for the Boots on the Ground Fund, up from the currently budgeted $150,000. The fund, in partnership with the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, provides building grants up to $25,000 to allow nonprofit organizations to build and grow.

"That's for organizations mainly doing anti-gun violence efforts, but organizations doing work in the neighborhoods," Kearney said.

Pureval is also recommending $500,000 for the Safe and Clean Neighborhood Fund. This is also up from $150,000 allocated for this program this year.

"It's not just about cleaning up trash, which is part of it, though. It's cleaning up blight, but it's also doing away with violence," Kearney said.

An ordinance is also set to be introduced by Pureval to allocate about $2.1 million towards what he calls financial freedom programs. This includes $1.5 million towards relieving Cincinnatians' medical debt relief, $375,000 for child savings accounts and $250,000 for a Guaranteed income Pilot Match, which Pureval said would explore how to support financial stability for vulnerable residents.

The city is also looking into other strategies and programs, like Advanced Peace. A council committee heard a presentation on the group back in April, and Kearney said it's now finalizing a partnership with a local nonprofit.

"Advanced Peace is a group that decreased gun violence in Richmond, California by 82% and they do it by working with the actual people pulling the trigger," she said.

On Monday night, the city held a final public hearing

City leaders said there's only so much the city itself can do, though.

"Money's not going to solve it all," said Scotty Johnson, Cincinnati City council member.

He said other branches and levels of government play a role too.

"Our criminal justice system is going to have to make sure that when these people are caught, and they will be caught, are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Johnson said.

He also said gun control legislation at the state and federal level could make a difference too. The city is currently involved in a lawsuit against the state over a law that preempts local gun regulations.

But city leaders said they need the community's help too.

"It's time for everybody, all hands on deck. This type of reckless behavior can affect anybody," Johnson said.

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