Budget - Public Safety

By Kevin Flynn

• Support for Police and Fire.
• Increase visibility and dialogue between community and police.
• Reform our budget to provide adequate support.
• Increase efficiency in fire department medical emergency runs.

The Cincinnati Police Department and the Cincinnati Fire Department have always done a great job of protecting the citizens of Cincinnati. Yet the perception remains that Cincinnati is unsafe.

As a City and as a Council, we need to support the men and women who keep our city safe. They put their lives at risk for us every day. It is a job that not many of us could do at all, much less with the dedication and excellence demonstrated daily by our police and fire departments. We must provide our guardians with the tools needed to do their jobs properly. Council needs to look at the entire $1.3 Billion budget of our city and not focus solely on the General Operating Budget, which is made up mostly of police and fire.

The police can not keep Cincinnati safe by themselves. The community needs to assist the police. Cincinnati needs to encourage the expansion of the 'Citizens on Patrol' and 'Community Problem Oriented Policing' initiatives. We have not had a recruit class in years. Because of retirements, the City is at its lowest level of active officers in years. Police officers need to continue to utilize advancements in technology to do more with less, but we must adequately support our officers. If people trust the police and know that the police will protect them, they will be more willing to talk to the police and aid the police in solving crimes.

The Cincinnati Fire Department saved my life 9 ½ years ago. No one appreciates the job they do for this city more than me. The Department needs to be able to efficiently respond to true emergencies. 73% of the calls answered by the department are for medical emergencies. We need to equip our fire houses with the appropriate equipment so that the emergency can be dealt with immediately and effectively. The department has improved by having a paramedic on every piece of equipment on every shift. But, because of budget cuts, Fire companies are 'browned out' - out of service, every day.

If Council does not support our police officers and fire fighters, who will? We must continue to support our programs that are aimed at preventing criminal activity and stopping future criminal activity. We must provide sufficient staffing and equipment to allow our safety personnel to do their jobs.