Your recent article about the Cincinnati Collaborative missed the essence of our effort - problem solving. You spoke with Lt. Col Whalen, Capt Maris Herold and community member Iris Roley but used none of the examples of problem solving that they are engaged in and that reduce crime without undue reliance on arrests of black citizens. For example, we use data to identify problems that feed crime - like identifying apartment buildings that welcome criminal activity. We then engage community stakeholders and use environmental design and tenant screening and other strategies to eliminate that location as a crime magnet. That was not happening in 2006 and only really took root after we won an extra year of monitoring (2008). We are not perfect and work across stakeholder lines every day to improve. But ignoring our core reform work does not provide an accurate picture of the culture change we are seeking to implement in Cincinnati.
Al Gerhardstein