The Cincinnati Police Department presented new data to City Council's Public Safety & Governance committee Tuesday that showed response times have gotten quicker since its District 5 headquarters closed last year.
The District 5 headquarters closed its doors in November 2023 due to the amount it would cost to build a new district building. District 5 used to cover several neighborhoods, including Camp Washington, Mt. Auburn, College Hill, Clifton, and Northside, which were later absorbed by the other four surrounding districts.
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The closure was the first time in more than 150 years that CPD had fewer than five districts. The change concerned some, who worried the reorganization would lead to delayed response times in certain areas. But according to the department, it had the opposite effect.
CPD says since November, response times have improved city-wide by 3.5 minutes on average compared to response times earlier in the year.
The data presented is only from the first 90 days since District 5 closed, which Police Chief Teresa Theetge admits is a slower time of the year for emergency calls. Still, Theetge credits officers' resilience for the improvement, and councilmembers were impressed by the data.
"Living in District 5, I have to say this: I see a lot of police officers in the district area and that is a testament to your amazing leadership Chief," Councilmember Scotty Johnson said to Theetge.
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Vice Mayor Jan-Michelle Lemon Kearney says the data is reassuring for those who were skeptical about the reorganization.
"A lot of our residents were wondering if this meant, you know, less service or slower service," Kearney said. "I'm amazed it's not just the same, it's even better."
Councilmember Anna Albi was also excited by the report but wants to see more. While she said the data from the 90 days was promising, she requested the department present more data later on that would capture the impact of the change after a full year.
Theetge said she plans to look at the data from the upcoming summer months when the department sees a spike in emergency calls.
