Press Releases

The statement below is attributable to Keary McCarthy, Executive Director:

“What happened in Cincinnati last weekend is tragic and unacceptable. No community, whether urban, suburban, or rural, wants to see the type of senseless violence that occurred in the early morning hours on July 26. Incidents like this distract from the success of Cincinnati’s vibrant downtown community and the hard work being done every day by local public safety professionals to keep our communities safe. 
 
“Those who break the law and commit acts of violence will never be tolerated in Cincinnati or any other Ohio city. Any suggestion otherwise ignores the facts and defies reality. Ohio cities have made historic investments into local public safety in the last few years with promising results. Violent crime is down in many cities across Ohio and the United States. 
 
“Like most other Ohio cities, Cincinnati invests the lion’s share of its local budget on public safety. It is the largest expense in most municipal budgets across the state. This is why we need more state and federal partnership focused on violent crime, and less partisan rhetoric on social media. 
 
“We are thankful to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and his administration for offering support and providing targeted public safety resources to our cities when needed. We also need the continued support of federal agencies like ATF to help local law enforcement utilize ballistics data and more effectively solve violent crimes. Federal budget cuts to law enforcement agencies like these will make local law enforcement efforts harder and less safe. 
 
“Our mayors know that public safety is foundational to make our cities great places to live, work, and play. Our local leaders and law enforcement professionals work every day to do just that. Cincinnati is a great community with a vibrant and dynamic downtown and we will continue to work as a coalition to support the work that is being done to keep our cities thriving and safe.”