The Village of Cleves council at a special meeting discussed and advanced ordinances to reestablish a local law enforcement agency and to clarify the language needed for officers to access federal criminal databases. Mayor Chuck Berkelts said the ordinance language had been refined so the village’s police department could obtain confidential criminal-information access, including NCIC-related systems, needed for criminal-justice work.

The issue drew several public comments urging the council to restore a local police presence. Resident Andrew Nixon said, “Now that they’ve been gone, you can see the effect. I mean, we really we need the police back.” Dakota Jennings, identified herself as a resident and stressed enforcement gaps: “We have people that have dogs running around without leashes…They’re not taking care of their properties.” Resident Carrie Savard described repeated speeding and near-crashes and said, “Someone could be hit and killed.”

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the village cannot fully perform criminal-justice functions without secure access to state and federal criminal data. Justin Hamy, the village administrator, told council that federal and state leads required clearer ordinance language so the village could be authorized to access NCIC and the Regional Crime Information Center. That access is central to routine criminal investigations and to effective coordination with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

Details of the council discussion: The mayor said the ordinance to reestablish the police had already been passed at the county level and received state approval but that language needed to be specific so federal and state database operators would permit access. Justin Hamy explained the requirement: “The language needed to be specific as to the federal government, and that came directly from the leads operator in the state of Ohio.” The village solicitor (Rob) and Hamy worked on that clarification.

Council and staff cautioned residents that a small local force would not resolve every enforcement issue immediately. Hamy said the council had considered a modest footprint and warned that “this is such a small footprint of a police force that this council has considered. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to get to everything.”

Actions and next steps: Council did not adopt a final ordinance at this meeting but continued the ordinance readings that were already underway. Public comments and council discussion indicated direction toward reestablishing a local enforcement presence and completing the ordinance language required for database access. The record shows continuing coordination with state operators and with the village solicitor to finalize enabling language.

Context and limits: Several commenters compared a local marshal or police to county enforcement and asked about mayor’s court and civil enforcement powers. Rob, the village solicitor, and Justin Hamy noted limits: some civil matters remain within other jurisdictions and the new local force will likely prioritize criminal enforcement and complement, not replace, county services. The council emphasized it would not promise instant fixes; Hamy said, “I don’t want to give the impression that that’s gonna fix everything.”

Ending: The council indicated it will finish ordinance drafting and pursue the administrative steps needed to secure database access and operational authorization. Residents seeking additional detail were told to watch future council agendas and posted materials for formal ordinance language and timelines.