Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell says the department's efforts to reduce violence are going well. He says most of the announced earlier this summer is now in place."We're in the neighborhoods," says Blackwell. "Our gang unit is up, fully standing. It's being very effective in the communities (with the) Summer Safety Program. We're having continual meetings with our captains - that was a part of the plan. I'm in the communities a couple of nights a week. We have officers on foot. We're seeing a stabilization in violent crime."
Blackwell admits crime numbers are up, but says they're up across the nation as well.
Cincinnati Police are in high gear, the chief says.
"As the young people go back to school - it's still hot - and last year, and every year, we see a spike not only in early summer but we also see a spike in late summer when the kids go back to school," Blackwell says. "We're cognizant of that and we're aware that we need to be hyper-vigilant and hyper-visible."
