IDA Downtown of the Month - September
2003
September 05, 2003
Cincinnati, OH - from www.ida-downtown.org
Is Downtown
Safe? This question is often posed in cities in the
US and around the world. Cleanliness and a customer-friendly
environment play important roles in residents' and
visitors' perceptions of safety in an urban environment.
And crime in a city's core, no matter how rare, is
often reported in a more dramatic fashion by the
media than is crime in other parts of a city.
In Cincinnati, Ohio,
the CBD is one of the safest areas in the city. And
since last year, crime in the CBD has fallen 8%.
Yet annual consumer research indicates that the public's
perceptions have not changed.
For this reason, several
new initiatives have been created since 2001 to help
combat negative perceptions and increase the feeling
of security in downtown Cincinnati.
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Downtown Services Unit
Mayor Charlie Luken and Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher
formed the Downtown Services Unit (DSU) in March 2002
to provide enhanced police service to Downtown and to
expand the community policing effort. Based at the District
One police station, the DSU deploys officers on foot,
horseback, motorcycle, and bicycle. The DSU is commanded
by Lieutenant Doug Wiesman and staffed with two sergeants
and seventeen officers.
The unit's mission is to provide police services tailored
to enhance the safety and security of Cincinnati's downtown
and riverfront by working in partnership with groups such
as Downtown Cincinnati, Inc. (DCI), and various business,
civic, and community groups. It provides a foundation for
the Mayor's vision of improving the quality of life in
the City's core, including the Vine Street corridor.
Downtown Ambassadors
DCI's Downtown Ambassadors, clad in bright yellow shirts,
work on downtown service and cleanliness issues. They
patrol the streets on foot, bicycle and sidewalk sweepers,
carrying the Downtown "Go to Town" Guide to hand to
visitors and offering a friendly face, information
and assistance where needed. Ambassadors with umbrellas
are known to come to the aid of shoppers or pedestrians
caught in the rain, and they are at the ready with
jumper cables should a motorist need help. They can
tell anyone what's on the schedule at the ballpark
or at the Music Hall, or what's on the menu at area
restaurants.
The Ambassadors are also available for hire by downtown
property owners to provide enhanced cleaning services
such as increased litter patrol, power washing, graffiti
removal, and for safety services such as event security.
Current contracts include one with the City of Cincinnati
to provide enhanced cleaning on Fountain Square, and
one with SORTA/Metro to clean Government Square, downtown
bus shelters, and the Riverfront Transit Center.
Another area of concentration is dealing with the panhandlers
downtown. Says Steve Hillard, the program's general manager,
"We're really trying to do a good job with the passive
panhandlers – to develop a good, respectful relationship
with them."
The Downtown Ambassador program is managed by Block-by-Block.
Downtown Sector Groups
Sector groups consist of property owners, retailers/merchants,
residents and other interested parties in a particular
geographical boundary of downtown. Monthly meetings
are held to identify, discuss and help resolve issues
within each sector. DCI representatives are present
at each meeting to facilitate/implement solutions to
the problems, report progress and help identify positive
stories that may be of interest to the media. DSU representatives
also attend the meetings.
Leaders for each sector group coordinate meetings, agendas
and minutes. The leaders also meet on a monthly basis to
review issues in their particular sector as well as share
progress reports and develop strategies to solve problems.
Virtual Block Watch
Community groups that network residents and businesses
together strengthen their bonds with shared knowledge.
And results-oriented partnerships between law enforcement
and the community are the building blocks of Community-Oriented
Policing.
DCI and the Cincinnati Police Department have adopted
a concept developed in Minneapolis called the Virtual Block
Watch (VBW) program. The VBW is a permanent "user-friendly" means
of communication with the community. The goal is to build
up the confidence of the community by relaying, in a timely
manner, relevant information within the community via the
VBW. Even more, the VBW serves as a forum where community
members can interact with DCI and the CPD, and share successful
strategies toward addressing issues in their buildings,
blocks and sectors.
This program is a true partnership in that Virtual Block
Watch volunteers can send their alerts and notices to DCI,
while DCI and the CPD can send or post information such
as street closures, crime maps, alerts, and suspect photos.
With the birth of the VBW, DCI and the CPD are better able
to use advanced technology to improve delivery of public
safety services and build a stronger partnership with stakeholders
by better communicating information in a timelier fashion.
