BY TANYA BRICKING
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Nearly a year after crimes marred the image of a music festival that draws thousands of people downtown each summer, Cincinnati police are anxious for a new safety plan.
The Coors Light Festival at Cinergy Field is five weeks away, and city leaders are still trying to figure out how to avoid a repeat of last year's violence away from the stadium.
The three-day music festival wasn't the problem, local Fraternal Order of Police President Keith Fangman said. "The problem was the lawlessness and anarchy in the business district."
Rank-and-file cops are upset that the city hasn't yet decided whether police are expected to show force or back off, Officer Fangman said.
"We as police officers who are being told to go into that crowd and do something about it, we want to know: What are the rules of the game?"
City officials expect to discuss the issue Monday at a council committee meeting. City Safety Director Kent Ryan and council members say safety is their top priority.
In response to last year's violence, the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce came up with a proposal last month for the Ujima-Cinci-bration. Organizers envision a street fair with food, vendors and entertainment to replace loitering problems of past festivals.
But the city has had little time to prepare.
"You can't put an Oktoberfest-scale event together in a week," said Lt. Paul Humphries, commander of the Cincinnati Police Division's event planning unit. "But we're doing the best we can."
Charlotte Mahle says she hopes the city learned lessons from last year's even and won't repeat mistakes -- such as letting cruisers block streets throughout downtown.
The Chillicothe woman was stuck in traffic for three hours last year after her trip to the opera. Coincidence will bring her back for the music festival weekend again. It happens to be the same weekend as the annual family trip to the opera.
"I hope it's not the same mess," she said. "It was scary. To me, it was a potential riot."
Arvie Flowers, whose son was shot to death during a street party after last summer's Coors Light Festival, said he would rather police show force than back off.
The Bond Hill man also has been encouraging black community leaders to act as monitors at the event.
"I'm trying to prevent this from happening to another parent," he said.
His son, Arvie Jenkins, 21, a former Princeton High football player, college student and father of three, died trying to help a friend who was being robbed last July 20.
Mr. Flowers is leaving town during this year's event because he says it would be too hard to be reminded of it. But he plans to remind others of his son's death by dedicating a peace garden to his son July 23 in Lytle Park.
