Latest news with #CincinnatiPolice
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
As Cincinnati mulls its youth curfew, data shows steady drop in enforcement over the years
As Cincinnati city leaders consider new ways to enforce the curfew for youth who stay out too late, an Enquirer review of data found police across Hamilton County have been steadily filing fewer curfew violations over the past 25 years. The number of juveniles referred to juvenile court peaked in 2000 with 619 violations and has steadily declined ever since. In 2024, there were 79 cited curfew violations across the county. In the eight years where jurisdiction-level data is available, Cincinnati police make up roughly a third of all curfew violations filed. Cincinnati police gave out 46 curfew violations in 2022, the most recent year the data is available. Since its introduction in the mid-90s, Cincinnati has had a curfew for people under 16 after 10 p.m. and after midnight for ages 16 to 18, meaning that youth cannot be unaccompanied in public after those hours. Its enforcement has ebbed and flowed over time, according to prior reporting by The Enquirer. Officers in the early 2000s used to conduct curfew sweeps that sometimes picked up over 100 youth in one night. Why are fewer curfew violations being filed? Enforcing the current curfew is difficult, city officials have said. During a special meeting of City Council on July 23, City Manager Sheryl Long said they're looking at ways to make it easier to enforce. Part of the issue might be how the violations are handled in juvenile court. Prior to 2022, a curfew violation was heard unofficially and considered an "unruly charge" in the eyes of the court, according to Hamilton County Juvenile Court spokeswoman Kelly Leon. "If the same child had a second curfew violation, he or she was in violation of the court order not to violate curfew and then the court could hear the case officially," Leon said. By 2022, Leon said a nationwide change pushed back on criminally charging minors for repeat violations of ordinances that aren't against the law for adults. If the curfew begins being enforced again, council members stressed throughout the meeting July 23 it would not be about arresting children. When asked during the City Council meeting whether children in violation of the curfew would be charged with a crime, Long said she didn't have the answer to that yet and is working with the legal department. Part of Long's plan includes reintroducing curfew centers where the city could take minors who are out too late. They would stay there until their parents could come and get them. Curfew centers are not a new idea Cincinnati had curfew centers back in the 1990s, according to Enquirer reporting at the time. After the initially contentious plan in 1994 to establish a citywide youth curfew, part of the plan involved extending hours at recreation centers in Evanston and Price Hill. Curfew violators were brought to the centers, staffed by recreation workers and a Cincinnati police officer. Criticism by city police in the years that followed over the costly monitoring of the curfew centers – and that fewer than 4% of juveniles picked up on curfew violations were brought there – led them to be closed. Years later, after an uptick in gun violence alarmed residents in the summer of 2015, the idea resurfaced. Then-Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell proposed a plan that involved once again enforcing the city's youth curfew and opening curfew centers in Districts 4 and 5. Any teenager breaking the curfew Thursday through Sunday would have been brought to one of the curfew centers, where parents would be called to pick them up. Weeks later, the plan was revised, cutting out the curfew centers. The city manager at the time Harry Black said communities were uncomfortable with the idea. Long said the newly proposed curfew centers wouldn't be at recreation centers, since she doesn't want children to have a negative association with them. During discussion about the curfew at the city council meeting, Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney said when the curfew has been enforced in the past, residents have complained that it hasn't been enforced evenly in all neighborhoods. "If we do it, we'll have to do it consistently and fairly across all neighborhoods," she said. Enquirer reporter Scott Wartman contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati-area youth curfews have been enforced less, data shows
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Cincinnati police chief says 5 were charged in Downtown fight shown in viral videos
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said two officers initially responded to a violent fight of "100 or so" people in Downtown this weekend that went viral online and spawned criticism from leaders nationwide. Theetge said only one person in the crowd called 911 to report the violence around 3:06 a.m. Saturday, July 26. When officers arrived in the area of Fourth and Elm streets six minutes later, she said, the fight had broken up and the majority of people were gone. The chief said five suspects have been identified by investigators and been charged but are not in custody. She declined to identify them or their charges publicly, citing the ongoing effort to locate them. Police anticipate more people to be charged. "Anyone who put their hands on another individual during this incident in an attempt to cause harm will face consequences," Theetge said. "I don't care which side of the incident or the fight they were on." Multiple videos of the fight Downtown circulated on social media over the weekend, raising concerns about safety amid the city's recent push to reduce crime in its urban core. Seen in one of the videos is a group of people striking one man until he falls to the ground as they continue to punch and kick him. Shortly after, another man is seen punching a woman in the face, causing her to fall to the ground, where she remained motionless until a person helped pick her back up. Theetge did not provide additional details on what led up to the fight, which has become the subject of outcry by people such as Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. She said she did not know whether anyone went to the hospital afterward, but all victims were still on the scene and appeared to be "as well as could possibly be expected." A department spokesman, Sgt. Anthony Mitchell, confirmed to The Enquirer that two officers were first to respond to the fight and "more arrived later." No information was given about whether the department's drones, which launched as first responders in a new program earlier that day, were deployed that evening. Chief lashes out at bystanders, bars, media Theetge chastised bystanders who did not call 911 and bars for overserving patrons alcohol, which she said played a significant part in the incident. "Nobody got us there as quickly as we could get there. They waited until they saw it on social media," Theetge said of the other bystanders who did not call 911. "People saw this. They were fighting in front of traffic. Why didn't somebody call us?" The chief defended officers' response time to the incident, noting that traffic was congested due to what she said was more than 150,000 people in the area that day to attend the Cincinnati Music Festival, a Reds baseball game and the Big3 basketball game. Theetge also blamed social media and the mainstream media for distorting what happened and making it more difficult to investigate. When asked by a reporter what was distorted, the chief said, "It just shows one side of the equation without context." On the day of the fight, Theetge issued a statement to the media just after 6 p.m., condemning what she saw in the video and saying investigators were working diligently to identify those involved. She said the department releasing any information publicly too soon would have been irresponsible. Fight comes as Cincinnati battles uptick in crime Downtown The viral fight in Cincinnati came as city leaders have continued to battle an uptick in crime across the city, particularly in the urban core of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine. In recent weeks, city leaders have said data shows crime is "stabilizing." Recent data by neighborhood up to July 26 supports this, with a drop in most violent and property crimes in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine when compared with their June highs. Since the June break-in stabbing of a well-known Over-the-Rhine gym owner, police have added additional resources to counter the increase in crime, such as forming a new street crime task force to target hot spots in the city. On Tuesday, July 29: Downtown residents to meet with officials to talk crime The dedicated task force of 30 officers has focused on juvenile crime in areas such as Over-the-Rhine north of Liberty Street, the chief previously told The Enquirer in an interview. Theetge said the task force was out until around 2 a.m. the night of the fight, while the fight broke out around 3 a.m. Asked whether citizens should be afraid of coming downtown, the chief said she will still take her family there. "I will go downtown. I will patronize. I will encourage my family members to go downtown and patronize," Theetge said. "What I won't do is tell them to over-consume alcohol, and I would not encourage them to be downtown when all the bars are letting out at three o'clock in the morning." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Chief: 5 charged in downtown Cincinnati fight shown in viral videos Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Man arrested after Cincinnati fight videos went viral was out on bond. What we know
Check here for the latest news on the arrests in the fight. A man and a woman were arrested July 29 in connection with the weekend brawl in downtown Cincinnati. Montianez Merriweather, 34, and Dekyra Vernon, 24, have been arrested on felonious assault and aggravated riot charges, according to Cincinnati police. Police had identified five suspects from a violent fight with a crowd of "100 or so people," at Fourth and Elm streets early Saturday, July 26. Multiple videos of the 3 a.m. fight Downtown circulated on social media over the weekend, raising concerns about safety amid the city's recent push to reduce crime in its urban core. More: Downtown Cincinnati restaurant owners call for 'real plan' to address crime, violence Merriweather was indicted on four felony charges on July 10 after investigators said he was found to be in possession of a stolen firearm. Court records show he is charged with carrying concealed weapons, receiving stolen property, improper handling of firearms in a vehicle and weapons under disability. The last charge is due to a prior felony conviction in 2009 for aggravated robbery, the documents state. In the weapons case, Merriweather was released after posting 10% of a $4,000 bond. "He never should have been out," said Ken Kober, Cincinnati police union president. The Enquirer has reached out to the attorney who represented Merriweather in the previous case for comment. Hamilton County court records show Vernon has no prior criminal convictions in the county. The Enquirer will update this breaking news report. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati brawl suspects: What we know about arrests in viral fight
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Chief of Police in Cincinnati denounces 'politics' during investigation into viral beatdown
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said Tuesday night that she doesn't like seeing the city cast in a negative light, especially in the national news.
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Five people charged in vicious Cincinnati brawl that left woman knocked out
Screenshot of woman knocked unconscious on ground after she tried to stop attack on man on Cincinnati street. X Five people have been charged over a savage brawl on a downtown Cincinnati street that was shared widely on social media. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The suspects' names were not released and authorities did not specify what charges they faced, but Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge warned that more arrests were expected. 'We have five we have charged, and anticipate more,' Theetge told reporters on Monday, two days after the shocking incident that she referred to as a 'fight.' Online videos show a group of people stomping on the head of a man as he curled up to protect himself from the onslaught of strikes. A woman who appeared to try to intervene was sucker-punched and knocked out as blood poured from her mouth. Theetge shamed people on social media for sharing video of the brawl, declaring that the footage did not 'depict the entire incident,' and that it only shows 'one version of what occurred.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She then tried to downplay the brawl, explaining that a baseball game and music festival happening in Cincinnati that night both went off without a hitch. 'We had one incident — one incident — late Friday night into Saturday morning that is getting all the attention and undoing the good stuff that happened this weekend,' Theetge said. NEW: Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge shames people for sharing video footage of a woman getting beaten because the video didn't 'depict the entire incident.'She's seriously blaming social media for this?! The comment comes in response to video footage showing a woman… — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 29, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. No update was given on the victims but the police chief said they 'appeared to be as well as could be expected' when police arrived. Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police president Ken Kober told WLWT the man and woman suffered 'pretty serious injuries' and would be 'recovering from this for a while.' And Ohio gubernatorial candidate and Cincinnati native Vivek Ramaswamy took to X to say he spoke to the woman who was knocked out, claiming she was a mother named Holly who told him 'not a single local or state official had yet reached out' to her besides 'one police detective.' 'She's a single working mom who went to a friend's birthday party,' he wrote. I spoke to Holly earlier today (the woman tragically assaulted in Cincinnati this weekend). She's a single working mom who went to a friend's birthday party. It's unconscionable that there were no police present in that area of Cincinnati on a Friday night, or even an ambulance… — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 28, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's unconscionable that there were no police present in that area of Cincinnati on a Friday night, or even an ambulance to take her to the hospital,' Ramaswamy continued. 'Hard-working Americans shouldn't have to worry for their safety when they have a good time in our cities.' Theetge argued and said officers were on the scene within six minutes of receiving a call about the brawl, but the 'fight' had ended and the mob had dispersed by the time cops arrived. RECOMMENDED VIDEO The chief noted that they received only a single call about the incident, blaming others for watching and not calling 911 sooner. What sparked the fight remains unclear but the footage begins with an argument between two men before it quickly escalates. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Footage of the graphic brawl had many weighing in including Vice President JD Vance and X CEO Elon Musk. Musk shared a post about the fight and commented on another account's post, commenting, 'That guy almost killed this woman. Aggravated assault.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Vance noted that he didn't see the video in its entirety but what he did see was 'a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person.' The former Ohio senator added: 'Where I come from at least, when you have a grown man who sucker-punches a middle-aged woman, that person ought to go to jail for a very long time.' MLB Columnists Toronto & GTA Editorial Cartoons Canada
