Cincinnati Police

Two special services are planned Monday to remember fallen local police officers. The first one begins at Fountain Square at 11:00 am. There family and friends of current and past officers will gather. They will then march to the police memorial across from District One Police Headquarters.

Fraternal Order of Police President Kathy Harrell says this is the same day another police class is starting. These are officers transferring from other parts of Ohio to Cincinnati. There are 23 of them and the class will last ten weeks.

Cincinnati Police said they've arrested 15 people and taken 11 weapons off the streets so far as part of an ongoing investigation of gang-related violence in the West End.  The effort represents four months of investigative work by various law enforcement agencies as part of the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence, also known as CIRV. 

"We want to send a loud and clear message that we do not accept homicides; we do not accept violent behavior," said Mayor John Cranley at a press briefing Thursday.

The Cincinnati Police Department is gearing up for several events this spring and summer focused on engaging the city's youth.  

Chief Jeffrey Blackwell outlined the plans Monday during a city council committee meeting.  He said the goal is to get kids off the streets and into a controlled environment.  

Blackwell said one new effort will be meetings with junior and senior class leaders at the city's high schools.

Update:  Construction crews will soon begin work on a new police headquarters for Cincinnati's District Three.  Officials and residents gathered Monday for a ground breaking at the location on Ferguson Road near Glenway.  It will replace the current facility that was built in 1908.   New police chief Jeffrey Blackwell said it will be good for the department.  The $15 million project is expected to be completed in the spring 2015. 

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Economic Impact

An estimated 3,000 police officers from as far away as Ireland, are in Cincinnati for a convention that begins Monday and continues through Friday. The Convention and Visitors Bureau puts the economic impact at $4.5 million and contracted hotel room nights of more than 15,000 in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Three separate investigations are underway after Cincinnati police officers were involved in a deadly shooting incident Wednesday afternoon in Clifton.  

The situation started with a 911 call from a mental health care provider.  The caller requested officers respond to Clifton and Ludlow Avenues for a person with mental health issues who had a gun.

Interim Police Chief Paul Humphries said 5 officers eventually encountered 32-year-old Roger Ramundo on the back deck of Arlin's Bar and Restaurant on Ludlow near Clifton.  

Cincinnati residents who live in police District 3 are getting a chance to offer their input on what the new police headquarters’ for that area will look like.  

Officials are holding a community meeting Tuesday evening.  

Stakeholders from all neighborhoods in the district are invited to assist with the design and public components of the new facility.  

Beginning Sunday the Cincinnati Police Department will be changing how it responds to some calls for service in the city.  

Interim Police Chief Paul Humphries said the decision comes after analyzing the department's response history.

Cincinnati's city manager said the new location for Police District 3 will be at 2300 Ferguson Road in Westwood.  

Milton Dohoney said in a press release Thursday the site was selected because it's located in one of three high-call neighborhoods, it's available for development, it rated high on constructability and it provides physical accessibility for service to the 14-neighborhoods in District 3.  

The city is paying $325,000 for the site.  

A new location for the Cincinnati Police Department’s District 3 headquarters could be announced within the next two to three weeks.

Officials have narrowed the list of possible sites down to four locations.

Those are:

Cincinnati Police Chief James Craig is officially going home. Craig is taking the top job in his hometown of Detroit.

"It's home," says Craig. "My family, my siblings, mom and dad who are aging, those are big draws... I started my policing career there almost 38 years ago. This is an opportunity to finish my policing career in a city that I love and make a difference."

Craig says he's excited about the opportunity and thankful for his time and the people in Cincinnati, adding he wouldn't have been considered for the Detroit job without his experiences here.

Cincinnati Police James Craig said Thursday morning he is interested in taking the Detroit Police Chief job if it is offered.

"I'm excited about the probability of going to Detroit and becoming the police chief. I'm very excited about that."

He made those comments at a news conference announce a Kentucky Speedway race with various police and sheriff's departments.

When WVXU asked about a timetable he said he didn't know, but, "I'm sure it is going to happen soon."