Cincinnati Police spent up to 1,500 hours investigating crashes on interstates within the city last year, requested by City Council Member Mark Jeffreys.
He says the Ohio State Highway Patrol should take over crash investigations on I-74, I-71 and I-75.
"I would rather have our officers back on our streets," Jeffreys told WVXU. "Or the state can reimburse us for that because that's no doubt hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars that we're spending at a time when that's not something that we can afford."
Jeffreys says OSHP already conducts crash investigations on highways throughout the state, including within other municipalities. WVXU reached out to the patrol for comment but did not hear back.
"It just doesn't seem fair that the citizens of Cincinnati are paying to do traffic enforcement and respond to crashes [on interstates]," Jeffreys said.
Cincinnati Police Traffic Commander Lt. Robert Van Horn says the department has a very positive working relationship with OSHP, including partnering on large events and on traffic blitzes. He adds that all law enforcement agencies, not just CPD, have had a difficult time recruiting.
"They don't have the personnel to put a substantial amount of troopers down here when they're still responsible for the rest of the state," Van Horn told a Council committee recently.
He added there are potential concerns about how OSHP might go about conducting crash investigations and engaging in traffic enforcement.
"I think that there is a difference in the way that the CPD polices our citizens versus the way a state organization would come in," Van Horn said. "I respect Ohio State Patrol and their mission, but I think our mission is far more community-based."
Jeffreys says he’ll work with the city manager to explore the idea.
He's also asking CPD to maintain a focus on traffic enforcement. Cincinnati Police issued about 5,000 fewer traffic citations last year compared to the year before.
"What we don't want is just a culture of ticketing people left, right and center; we want it to be behavior-based," Jeffreys said. "Especially if people are going 10 miles an hour or over in the city, that is something that should be cited."
Police officials say citations are not the best indicator for traffic enforcement. The number of traffic crashes in 2024 was slightly higher than the year before, according to the .
CPD conducted two traffic blitzes last year, and one blitz already this year.
