The Village of Cleves council approved Ordinance 24-2025 on third reading to reestablish a local law-enforcement capability, authorizing a small, part-time police footprint to supplement — not replace — Hamilton County patrols. The ordinance passed 6-0 after council and residents spent more than an hour discussing crime, speeding and property-maintenance complaints.

The council vote authorizes the village to hire part-time officers, deploy marked vehicles and obtain access to criminal justice databases needed for local investigations. Council members and the village administrator said the new officers will be primarily reactive investigators and code-enforcement partners rather than a full-time street-patrol force; Hamilton County will remain the primary provider of routine patrols and first-response to in-progress emergencies.

Why it matters: residents told council they want faster responses to thefts and repeated nuisance problems in neighborhoods. Council members said local authority would let village officers investigate local ordinance violations and follow up on incidents county deputies close without local enforcement. Finance members noted council budgeted $60,000 this year as an initial allocation for the program.

What the ordinance does and how it will work
- The ordinance creates a municipal criminal-justice enabling structure and authorizes the administrator to staff a limited police function. Council described the expected staffing as part-time officers rather than a full-time department.
- The Hamilton County Communications Center will continue to receive all 911 calls and dispatch county deputies for in-progress calls; the village’s officers will coordinate with the sheriff’s office on investigations and may pick up matters that the county closes or declines to pursue further.
- Council and staff said the village will enter operational and information-sharing arrangements with Hamilton County to avoid duplicate investigations and to allow smooth transfer of reports and follow-up.

Council and resident concerns
Residents who testified during public comment urged more visible enforcement on North and South Miami avenues, especially in school hours, and asked for clearer reporting on citations issued by the sheriff’s office. Multiple residents described repeated thefts, property-maintenance problems and speeding that they say have not been adequately addressed.

The council’s safety committee said it has requested citation counts from the sheriff’s office for key streets and school zones and will report back. Officials also described plans to coordinate data from newly installed speed-monitoring signs with the sheriff’s office so enforcement can be targeted.

Budget and implementation
Council members and the administrator said the initial $60,000 appropriation will cover start-up costs for vehicles, equipment, insurance and part-time pay; staff said routine operating costs are expected to rise over time and that council will revisit funding in future budget cycles.

What’s next
Council members said they will finalize operational agreements and reporting protocols with the sheriff’s office and begin recruiting for the limited part-time positions. Residents were told the village will continue to rely on Hamilton County deputies for immediate response to in-progress emergency calls.

Ending note
Council members stressed the ordinance is a local enforcement backstop and not a full restoration of a preexisting municipal police department. They said the village intends to use municipal officers to enforce local ordinances, support investigations and address problems that persist in specific neighborhoods.