City presents 30‑day Summer Safety Plan focused on Government Square youth engagement; volunteers and donations requested

City officials and community partners presented a 30‑school‑day “Government Square Community Care” plan to the Public Safety and Governance Committee, describing a community‑centered approach to reduce youth violence at downtown transit sites and nearby high schools.

Iris Rowley, who identified herself as a consultant to the city manager on policing and public safety and a member of the Cincinnati Black United Front, said the initiative builds on work begun in January 2024 and centers "positive engagement, prevention and opportunity." Rowley described daily outreach at Government Square and other transit sites that provides de‑escalation, mentorship, basic hygiene items and food; she said the City Gospel Mission has provided weekly lunches for about five months.

Rowley asked for volunteers and donations: the plan calls for recruiting 50 volunteers to staff Government Square and other transit sites across the city for two hours at a time (options included 2 hours a week or 2 hours for the next 30 school days). An outreach phone number and email were provided in the meeting: (513) 658-5246 and caci.youthdrive25@gmail.com. City staff said volunteers can also help pack resource bags and that the community office is coordinating donation and volunteer schedules.

Partners described in the presentation include Metro (which printed bus passes for volunteers), the City Gospel Mission (providing food), Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) and community responders from the city’s 3-1-1 alternate response program. Brett Isaac, introduced as a retired Cincinnati police officer and security manager with Metro, said Metro’s collaboration has improved communication and accountability and helped build relationships with youth. Stephanie Marlies, alternate response program manager, said 11 community responders were currently working transit centers and two newer responders attended the committee meeting.

Council members and staff discussed place-based work at two high schools that staff identified as sources of downstream conflict on transit (Withrow and Hughes were named). Committee members urged faster deployment of a $50,000 carryover allocation the council had set aside for this work and staff said they were awaiting coordination with the Free Store Food Bank to distribute funds and food before summer.

Committee Chair Scotty Johnson said the committee would "file the presentation." Presenters emphasized the work is part of a broader Act for Cincy effort, and Gabriel Fletcher, the city’s violence reduction manager, described workforce pathways and trauma‑informed training as linked pieces of a longer-term strategy. Presenters described initial year‑over‑year reductions in Part I violent crime at Government Square and said data from Cincinnati Police were being compiled separately; the presentation excerpt included a claim of a 50% reduction in Part I violent crimes comparing 2024 to 2025 at the site, which Rowley asked the committee to note (Rowley said the underlying data would be provided to the committee).

Why it matters: The plan combines community responders, nonprofit partners and transit staff to provide immediate de‑escalation and resource access at transit locations where young people congregate. If implemented broadly, the program could change how the city responds to nonviolent youth behavior at transit hubs while connecting youth to jobs and supports.

Details and clarifications: Presenters listed partners including Metro, City Gospel Mission, Cincinnati Public Schools, University of Cincinnati, Children’s Hospital, Free Store Food Bank, Cincinnati Recreation Commission and others. The presentation requested volunteers and in‑kind donations (hygiene items, period products, food and informational materials for youth and families). Presenters said they currently have roughly 20 volunteers and seek to reach 50; community responders currently number 11. The committee noted an allocated $50,000 in the carryover budget to meet food and resource needs but asked staff for clarity on deployment timing.

Next steps: Organizers asked council members to promote volunteering and donations, finalize logistics with partners (including the Free Store Food Bank) and continue coordinating the Act for Cincy action teams on root causes and household stabilization. The committee filed the presentation in this meeting; presenters asked staff to return data and deployment details to the committee and action teams for follow up.