BY TANYA BRICKING
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Having cell phones stolen from their cars this year puts Cincinnati's police chief and city manager in the same rut as everybody else. They've been hit by the latest crime on the rise: thefts from cars.
Crime statistics released Thursday indicate the latest trend in serious crime in Cincinnati is not a danger of being killed or assaulted. Instead, it has to do with the way you tempt a thief, police say.
"We're probably going to have to direct our efforts in educating the public about thefts from autos," police spokesman Lt. Roger Wolf said. "The locks keep honest people out, but thieves are getting a little more brazen."
Serious crimes -- which include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft -- increased 3 percent in the city in the first six months of this year compared with the same time last year.
At the same time, major crime in the 10 Hamilton County townships patrolled by the sheriff's office dropped by about 7 percent.
In the city, the largest sampling of crimes came in the area of thefts -- with more than 7,500 reported in the mid-year count -- a 6 percent increase.
Criminals find easy pickings in parking lots where drivers leave cell phones and laptop computers in plain view.
Even Police Chief Michael Snowden and City Manager John Shirey had cell phones stolen from their cars in lots near City Hall in February and March.
Increases in other areas, such as rapes, also fueled the city's jump in crime.
The biggest percentage increase was 18 percent more rapes -- from 164 by mid-year last year to 193 this year.
That could be attributed to more people reporting rapes and not necessarily more rapes happening, Lt. Wolf said, adding there has not been a rash of "stranger" rapes.
Hamilton County's suburban townships, however, saw an increase only in homicides.
The county had none in the first six months of 1997 but two this year, with the June deaths of 48-year-old Michael Nieman of Miami Township and of 6-year-old Mary Love of Colerain Township.
