Captain Michael John District One Commander Sergeant Elena Moton District One Neighborhood Liaison Supervisor Happy Ending to the Year On a slow Sunday morning in December an employee at Frisch s on Gest Street in the West End, informed me of an older customer who seemed a bit confused at the restaurant. She was a very nice lady in her mid-80. She told me that she was just lost and had a doctor s appointment she was late for. She told me that she had just left her farm in Amelia Ohio. Not many doctors have office hours on Sunday mornings and Amelia was a long way from the West End. I told her it was Sunday and she was west of Downtown Cincinnati. She thought it was Monday and began crying and apologizing. She said her daughter was supposed to drive her but she didn t want to be a burden. Police Officer Michael Graise arrived to help. Officer Graise began by creating a rapport with our confused grandmother. He reassured her that everything was going to be okay and he could help. Officer Graise made her relax and feel at ease. The officer tried all the phone numbers available for family and friends but was unable to reach anyone. Officer Graise friendly and open demeanor helped our confused friend to focus. Officer Graise eventually learned that her granddaughter worked weekends on Kellogg Avenue. Officer Graise drove her to the granddaughter s place of employment. The granddaughter took care of her grandmother and made sure she arrived home safely. The car was retrieved later from Frisch s. A family member called District One to thanks Officer Graise for helping their mother and being so kind to her. If you watch the news, television or movies you think our job is all excitement and violence. In real life it is sometimes neither. Sometimes it s just a nice guy going out of his way to help an elderly person in need. Nice ending to a great year. Keep your experience a positive one: We re a thriving city and a popular destination. With this comes the need for big city awareness. Park in well-lit, reasonably-priced locations: Try Washington Park Garage, Mercer Garage on Vine, Twelfth and Vine lot, Gateway Garage, and parking meters in the business districts. Rates are affordable and convenient to the businesses. If you see something, say something: Non-emergency police (513)765-1212 and Emergency 911
Traffic Stop On December 29, 2014, while on routine patrol in the area of Back and Hamer Streets in Over-the-Rhine, Police Officer Branden Mentz and Police Specialist Mike Bell observed a vehicle make an improper change of course. The officers followed the 2001 Toyota Camry to 12 th and Main Street and initiated a traffic stop. The front seat passenger immediately opened the vehicle door brandishing a firearm and fleeing on foot down the alley way. The passenger now known as Mr. Marquez Coleman, attempted to go over an aluminum gate in the alley at which time his stolen Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm firearm was discharged accidentally. Officer Mentz who had given chase immediately observed the firearm hit the ground, and Mr. Coleman immediately went to ground to give up. Mr. Coleman was taken into custody without further incident. Mr. Malik McCrary who was the driver was also taken into custody without incident. Mr. Coleman was charged with several felony offenses and also had several open felony warrants. Mr. McCary was charged with one felony offense, no driver s license, and two traffic violations. Mr. Malik McCrary Mr. Marquez Coleman Trivia Question: When were the five earliest Cincinnati bridges built across the Ohio River? (Answer near the end of newsletter) Homeless Encampments Homeless encampments are dangerous and unhelthy situations for people to live in, especially during the winter. There have been a number of deaths in Cincinnati s homeless encampments in recent history including; a fire related death in a makeshift shelter, an exposure related death under a bridge, and a homicide in a tent in the woods. Encampments have been locations for drug overdosed and fights. Stolen property is often recovered from camps when they are being cleaned up. Please help us decrease homeless encampments in Cincinnati and direct the residents to housing and other social services. There are many social services who care for the homeless in Cincinnati including the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) outreach team. (see below)
Social Service Focus PATH The PATH outreach team is a group of social workers who go out in the community and into encampments to meet homeless individuals, and connect them to housing and other services that they need. PATH is administered by Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (GCBHS) and Tender Mercies. Their office is located at 40 East McMicken Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45202. If you see an active homeless encampment please call the police at (513)352-4566 with the location. We will give the camp attention and connect the residents to the PATH outreach team. PATH can be reached at (513)961-0600. Cold Weather Shelter Each evening through February, the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, the Drop Inn Center and other organizations, in partnership with the City of Cincinnati are operating a Cold Weather Shelter at the Drop Inn Center located at 217 W. 12 th Street and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church located at 1524 Race Street. All are welcome at 8 p.m. or later. For questions about the shelter call Mr. Josh Springs of the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition at (513)421-7803 or (513)716-7455. Donations are welcomed, to make a donation to the Warm Hearts campaign send a check to the Drop Inn Center, 217 W. 12 th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (write Warm Hearts in the memo line) or call (513)721-0643. Trivia Question Answer: The Roebling Suspension Bridge was built in 1854. The L&N Railroad Bridge (a.k.a. the Purple People Bridge) was built in 1972. The Southern Railroad Bridge was built in 1877. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Bridge was built in 1889. The Central Bridge was built in 1891.
New Parking Hours and Rates Parking meters in Over-the-Rhine have recently been replaced with state of art equipment. These smart parking meters provide enhanced customer service in that they accept debit/credit cards as well as time purchase options. In conjunction with this installation the rates and hours of enforcement as of January 2 nd. The changes were as follows: Over-The-Rhine Downtown/The Banks: Rate: Increase to $1.00 Per Hour Hours of Enforcement: Monday Saturday 9:00am to 9:00pm Sunday 2:00pm to 9:00pm Rate: No Change Hours of Enforcement: Monday Saturday 9:00am to 9:00pm Sunday 2:00pm to 9:00pm The is part of a larger effort to improve Cincinnati s parking meter service by making it more responsive to the needs of businesses, residents and visitors. Presently, most meters are old, prone to vandalism and only accept coins. A total of 1,500 new meters are being installed in this phases. Additional improvements, such as payby-smartphone capability, will be added in mid-2015. http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/parking/
District One Safety Sector Meetings District One facilitates monthly Safety Sector Meetings for the local neighborhoods. Safety Sector Meetings give the citizens and business owners a chance to talk one on one with police officers and supervisors regarding crime and safety issues in their neighborhoods. Everyone is invited to attend. Over-the-Rhine/Washington Park/Art Academy Safety Sector Meeting 2 nd Thursday of the Month at 2:00 p.m. Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce 111 E. 13 th Street Over-the-Rhine/Findlay Market/Brewery District Safety Sector Meeting 3 rd Wednesday of the Month at 5:30 p.m. Findlay Market Office 19 W. Elder Street West End Safety Sector Meeting 4 th Tuesday of the Month at 6:00 p.m. City West Community Room 1202 Linn Street Contact Us All District One Officers continue to work cooperatively to reduce crime and disorder. Anyone with information on any crime or disorder issues in the District One area, please call (Non-Emergency) (513)765-1212. If a crime is in progress, call 911. Anyone who has information pertaining to any felony investigation, or offense of violence, is asked to call CRIMESTOPPERS at (513)352-3040 or text CINTIP plus your message to CRIMES (274637). Callers may remain anonymous and receive compensation for their information. If you need to discuss any community issues call Sergeant Elena Moton at (513) 352-1210 or email her at elena.moton@cincinnati-oh.gov.