Focusing on crime hot spots leads to fewer gunshot victims

Lina PortmanMay 30, 2024

0 3 minutes read

Before sharing what she called “incredible information” Wednesday about the number of young shooting victims in the Queen City, Police Chief Terri Theetge thanked the officers who stepped up to keep Cincinnati safe . “They worked so hard,” Theetge said. members of the city's public safety committee. “We had Taste of Cincinnati, a sold-out Reds game, a Flying Pig marathon – many other events – and they all went off without a hitch.” Theetge then got into the nitty-gritty of what happens every day to try to keep people, especially children, out of harm's way. “I am pleased to report that, since the beginning of the year, we currently have 50 percent fewer victims of juvenile gun violence than at the same time last year,” she said. she declared. “Last year there were 24 of us. This year there are 12 of us, which is still 12 too many.” “We have seen more than 30 percent of gun crimes in the city. An example of this approach is the water barricades set up by police on Republic Street, north of Liberty Street, in Over-the-Rhine, to try to stem the flow of what detectives call concentrated violence. “It always comes back to gun violence, you know,” Theetge said. “There are too many guns stolen in. the street.” For grieving families, there are also too many unsolved cases, including the shooting death of recent Withrow graduate Lamon Wiggins and the murder last fall of 11-year-old Dominic Davis, in the West. “As of yet, we have not made any arrests in these two particular cases, but that does not mean the work is done,” Theetge said. “Investigators are continuing to follow up. the tracks.” widow, Melody, directly, saying she knows it's disheartening knowing the killer is still out there. Theetge urged anyone with information that could help solve violent crimes — like the homicides that took the lives of Kerna, Wiggins and Davis — to contact police.

CINCINNATI-

“They worked very hard,” Theetge told members of the city’s public safety committee. “We had Taste of Cincinnati, a sold-out Reds game, a Flying Pig marathon – many other events – and they all went off without a hitch.”

Theetge then looked at what happens every day to try to keep people, especially children, out of harm's way.

“I am pleased to report that, since the beginning of the year, we currently have 50 percent fewer victims of juvenile gun violence than at the same time last year,” she said. she declared. “Last year there were 24 of us. This year there are 12 of us, which is still 12 too many.”

One reason for the decline in teen shooting victims is the intense focus by officers on the 4 percent of Cincinnati's geographic footprint that saw more than 30 percent of crimes committed with guns in the city.

An example of this approach is water barricades set up by police on Republic Street, north of Liberty Street, in Over-the-Rhine, to try to stem the flow of what detectives call violent concentrated.

“It always comes back to gun violence, you know,” Theetge said. “There are too many stolen guns on the streets.”

For grieving families, there are also too many unsolved cases, including the shooting death of recent Withrow graduate Lamon Wiggins and last fall's murder of 11-year-old Dominic Davis in West End.

“As of yet, we haven’t made any arrests in these two particular cases, but that doesn’t mean the work is done,” Theetge said. “Investigators continue to follow leads.”

WLWT investigator Todd Dykes questioned Theetge about the unsolved murder of Nicholas Kernan, who was shot and killed a year ago while doing landscaping work a few blocks from the University of Cincinnati.

Theete responded by speaking directly to Nick's widow, Melody, saying she knew it was disheartening knowing the killer was still out there. Theetge urged anyone with information that could help solve violent crimes — like the homicides that took the lives of Kerna, Wiggins and Davis — to contact police.