Update, 2:43 p.m.: Mayor Aftab Pureval did not say Downtown Cincinnati was safe when asked by a reporter.
“I’m the mayor. I’m responsible for public safety, and it has not been good enough,” Pureval said.
Update, 2:31 p.m.: When asked whether he still has confidence in Police Chief Teresa Theetge, Mayor Aftab Pureval did not answer. He said he has been “laser-focused” on solving issues and has had “frank conversations” with the Chief about what’s working and what’s not.
Update, 2:28 p.m.: Mayor Aftab Pureval has indicated changes are necessary for Government Square, which he described as “the hub bringing the criminal element in these areas.”
Pureval said in a statement yesterday that he would work with Metro to consider changes to Government Square.
Recently, Cincinnati City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting loitering at transit centers, including Government Square.
Update, 2:26 p.m.: Mayor Aftab Pureval said “everything is on the table with how we’re going to get the violence under control” Downtown.
Pureval said that bringing in the Ohio Highway Patrol is an option and pointed toward an ongoing relationship with Gov. Mike DeWine’s office on additional enforcement.
Earlier this summer, Pureval’s administration invited the Highway Patrol to help officers with enforcement on the city’s major thoroughfares.
Update, 2:24 p.m.: Chief Teresa Theetge said police will begin to take action on low-level violations, such as marijuana use in public places.
“If you’re doing something you’ve never been approached about before, expect us to intervene,” Theetge said.
Theetge pointed toward incidents in recent months where gunfire has happened in front of officers and said they will begin to proactively intervene in situations.
Update, 2:19 p.m.: Chief Teresa Theetge said police have identified a 24-year-old person of interest who fired shots on Fountain Square.
The person, who police did not name, faces charges of felonious assault, weapons under disability, among other charges.
Additional charges are expected for another person involved in the crime. Theetge asks anyone with information to call police.
Update, 2:15 p.m.: Mayor Aftab Pureval announced Cincinnati police will deploy its Civil Disturbance Response Team and SWAT on Fountain Square in response to ongoing crime.
The additional units will be stationed on the square every day from 2 to 10 p.m., Pureval said.
Pureval will also put forth legislation to enhance the youth curfew even earlier. City council already enacted a “special curfew district” comprised of Downtown and parts of Over-the-Rhine at 9 p.m. earlier this year, meaning all unattended minors cannot be out after 9 p.m.
Original coverage: Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge and city leaders will provide an update Tuesday afternoon on the double shooting at Fountain Square.
Officials including Theetge, Mayor Aftab Pureval and City Manager Sheryl Long plan to speak at a news conference at 2 p.m. about the shooting that wounded two people.
At 12 p.m., Cincinnati police spokesman Lt. Jonathan Cunningham had said no one accused of firing a gun during the shooting has been arrested.
Theetge previously said a disagreement between two parties near the CityBird restaurant in Fountain Square around 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 led to the shooting.
A 16-year-old and a 19-year-old man were wounded and brought to the hospital with minor injuries, according to city’s shooting database. Nobody at the restaurant was harmed.
Police at the site of the shooting said one person suspected of firing a weapon fled the scene and was chased by a Cincinnati officer working a detail on Fountain Square. They were apprehended after a foot pursuit led police into Over-the-Rhine. Cunningham could not confirm if this person remains in custody.
The shooting comes after an uptick in crime began earlier this summer within the urban core of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine. Police have added additional resources, including patrols and special details, to deter crime.
The Enquirer will update this story.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mayor announces earlier curfew, more officers for Downtown in wake of shootings
Reporting by David Ferrara and Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
