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Hamilton County commissioners call for investigation after neo‑Nazi appearances in Lincoln Heights and Evendale
Summary
Commissioners and county officials said they attended a town hall after neo‑Nazi demonstrators appeared in Lincoln Heights and nearby communities; commissioners urged a prompt multi‑jurisdictional review, asked for body‑camera and other recordings, and sought clearer coordination from local police and emergency management.
Hamilton County commissioners on Feb. 11, 2025, discussed a wave of demonstrations by white‑supremacist groups that drew public alarm in Lincoln Heights and nearby communities the prior weekend and asked county leaders to push for a prompt, coordinated review of law‑enforcement and emergency‑management actions.
Several commissioners described attending a community town hall and relaying residents’ concerns about safety and policing. They raised specific questions about why municipal law‑enforcement did not prevent or more quickly disrupt the demonstrations, why identifying information and enforcement actions were not apparent in the footage circulating on social media, and whether municipal officials had prior notice that the groups were traveling into the county.
County Administrator Jeff Alito said he has been in contact with the county’s Emergency Management Agency and the sheriff’s office and that officials are investigating. “I have been talking with EMA and with the sheriff’s office, talked with sheriff folks in sheriff’s leadership this morning, about steps they are taking to do after action reviews on this investigations, etcetera,” Alito said. He told commissioners he would coordinate with the prosecutor’s office and report back to the board on the best approach and on whether an entity outside the involved municipalities should lead a multi‑jurisdictional review.
Commissioners and speakers at the meeting described videos posted on social media that showed masked demonstrators, at least one with a firearm, making threats and taunting residents; those recordings prompted requests from residents for immediate answers and accountability. Commissioners asked county staff to assemble a list of specific questions from the board and community that should be answered by law enforcement, and to seek relevant footage and logs—including body‑camera video, dispatch recordings and any municipal reports—so that the board and the public can be briefed promptly.
Speakers said residents reported being frightened during the events and that some community members organized their own patrols when they felt unprotected. Commissioners asked for a status report as soon as possible and discussed inviting law‑enforcement leadership to brief the board publicly. Several commissioners called for multi‑jurisdictional cooperation among municipalities, the sheriff’s office, EMA and the prosecutor’s office to determine whether additional steps—investigations, civil or criminal referrals or changes in policing—are warranted.
Ending: Commissioners said they will assemble the board’s questions for law enforcement, request relevant records and seek a public update in the coming week; County Administrator Alito said he will coordinate with the sheriff’s office and prosecutor’s office and report back to the board on next steps.
