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Some District Five Employees Could Be Temporarily Relocated

Michael E. Keating
/
WVXU

Some police personnel at Cincinnati's District Five headquarters could be working at other facilities until a new building is ready.  

City Manager Harry Black addressed the issue Monday during a city council committee meeting.
The temporary relocation would primarily affect employees who spend several hours a day inside the current headquarters (1012 Ludlow Avenue).  That could include command staff, detectives and civilian employees.  Most officers report to the building before their shifts, but then are on patrol.

"If any of those individuals would like to be temporarily reassigned to another district, that's fine by me," Black said. "And I don't believe the police chief has a problem with that as well. We're not talking about a lot of people here."

Some officers and council members have expressed concerns about the working conditions at the current District Five location.  Those include cramped office space and health problems.  

City council member Charlie Winburn wants employees out of the facility as soon as possible.

"After revelations of poor working conditions for employees located at Cincinnati Police District Five, it is clear that administration should quickly move to relocate all the staff in a temporary capacity," Winburn said. "Until the administration can find and build a permanent location."

The city manager wants to remodel the old Permit Central building on Central Parkway for a new District Five location, but that work would not be completed until May 2019.  

Some council members have said they want a brand new facility.  But the manager said that would take longer to complete.  

 

Jay Hanselman brings more than 10 years experience as a news anchor and reporter to 91.7 WVXU. He came to WVXU from WNKU, where he hosted the local broadcast of All Things Considered. Hanselman has been recognized for his reporting by the Kentucky AP Broadcasters Association, the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, and the Ohio AP Broadcasters.