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Residents urge Cincinnati officials to crack down on drug market, violence in Over-the-Rhine
Summary
Residents and property managers told the Public Safety and Governance Committee that an open-air drug market and repeated shootings around East Clifton and Walnut streets are driving families away and blocking investment; they urged targeted police enforcement and traffic controls.
Residents of Over-the-Rhine and nearby Grant Park told the Cincinnati City Council’s Public Safety and Governance Committee on Monday that persistent open-air drug sales, tents and frequent shootings are making parts of their neighborhoods unsafe and are deterring investment.
Katie Garber, an Over-the-Rhine resident and property owner, said her family has invested more than $2 million renovating Main Street buildings and planned a $2.2 million project to create 13 new apartments on Walnut Street, north of Liberty, but that recent shootings and a known drug distribution point at Walnut and Corwin have made her reluctant to rent there. “I have heard 15 gunshots at a time on Walnut, some murdering people, some missing their intended target,” Garber said, adding that dealers and groups of young men congregate “all day, all night.”
Jamie Osterday, a regional property manager for a building on Clarion Avenue, told the committee she and her team have recorded videos and repeatedly contacted Cincinnati Police and 311 without seeing sustained results, and asked for increased patrols and a stronger partnership with the district police to make tenants feel safe.
John Wilson, who lives on East Clifton Avenue and has two young children, described “open-air drug dealing 24/7” near 138 East Clifton and suggested targeted interventions such as stricter parking enforcement and temporary barricades to limit through-traffic used by buyers and sellers. Daphne, a neighbor two blocks away, and longtime resident Russell Elliott echoed those concerns, saying the block’s activity has reversed years of improvement and created a “carnival for crime.”
Chair Scotty Johnson acknowledged the comments and said he would ensure District 1 receives the reports and that staff would “do a deeper dive” into the area to improve patrol coverage and coordinate enforcement.
The committee did not take a formal vote during public comment; members instructed staff to follow up with district police and to connect residents with the appropriate neighborhood liaison for additional coordination.
