BY LISA DONOVAN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A plan to keep the peace in downtown Cincinnati during this summer's Coors Light Jazz Festival weekend has been criticized as "martial law" by City Councilman Dwight Tillery.
At Thursday's council meeting, Mr. Tillery ripped City Manager John Shirey and his administration's recommendations to beef up police in the downtown core and essentially close that area off to traffic and any events related to the July 24-26 festival.
The suggestions are designed to remedy last year's problems: throngs of youths gathering downtown either for events ancillary to the jazz festival or to hang out. One man was shot to death and 97 people were arrested that weekend downtown.
Mr. Tillery said the administration's report is not the answer. "Your plan says the kids won," Mr. Tillery told a stone-faced Mr. Shirey.
Mr. Tillery said the report also sends a message that Mr. Shirey and his administration are insensitive to the largely black crowd that is drawn downtown during and after the event. He said he has received complaints on similar issues that the administration is insensitive to various community groups.
Councilman Charlie Winburn agreed, saying the city administration tends to "overreact to ethnic groups" when problems arise.
Mr. Shirey responded by saying that there are no complaints after he works with community groups to reach a consensus on problems. When there is no consensus, members of the community tend to complain to their elected officials, he said.
In an attempt to steer the discussion back to the issue of the jazz festival and temper some of the criticism, Councilman Tyrone Yates said: "I don't think Mr. Shirey has any animus toward any one of the groups involved."
Councilman Phil Heimlich stood behind the city manager, saying he supported the recommendations "100 percent."
"This report sends a message that we don't live in Dodge City -- this isn't the wild west."
The report, issued by the administration on Wednesday, calls for:
- No special events downtown during the same weekend as the festival.
- Controlling crowds by enforcing local curfews, alcohol and drug laws. Officers operating in teams as well as on bikes and horses would patrol downtown with the help of community relations monitors and other adult volunteers.
- Controlling traffic by closing off the downtown core and limiting parking there. City officials also are recommending no street vending downtown after 7 p.m. during the weekend. After 7 p.m., vendors can sell their wares only on Cinergy Field's plaza and possibly a nearby parking lot until 2 a.m.
Last year, several other events kept officials busy the same weekend as the jazz festival, including Taste of Ebone, and conventions of the Ohio American Legion and the Free Will Baptists.
While most of last year's events concluded by midnight, there were complaints that crowds -- including many youths -- loitered in pockets of downtown until 4 a.m.
That prompted some local businesses to call for the vendors to close shop by 11 p.m. -- drawing the ire of some elected officials and the Greater Cincinnati African_American Chamber of Commerce. With the administration suggesting vendors lock up at 2 a.m. and virtually limiting operations to Cinergy Plaza, some view the vendors are being punished for last year's misdeeds.
"I don't think the vendors are the magnet creating the problem," Councilwoman Minette Cooper said.
But city officials maintain that they want to keep the focus on the jazz festival.
James Clingman, executive director of the local African American Chamber of Commerce, said the city's list of recommendations is too heavy-handed. After all, this is an event that allows black entrepreneurs to make some money during one of the largest African-American-oriented events in the country, he said.
He noted that Cincinnati's jazz festival weekend draws thousands of music lovers, largely African-American, and $30 million to the region's economy.
Mr. Clingman said he will propose the city allow a family-oriented African-American event called "Ujima Cinci-bration" in the downtown area the jazz fest weekend.
Discussion on the matter will begin at 3 p.m. Monday in council's law and public safety committee. Mr. Yates, who chairs the committee, called on fellow council members to view the report as a touchstone for discussion.
In the end, he said, it will be up to the nine members of council to make the decision.
