The Cincinnati Enquirer
A sweep through Mount Washington resulted in 160 citations for building-code violations Wednesday -- issued by the city for everything from filthy homes to caving ceilings.
Complaints from about 50 people led to the crackdown on violators by the Cincinnati Neighborhood Action Strategy team -- a group of employees from various city departments assigned to specific communities.
Wednesday's sweep focused on the 1823-1929 block of Sutton and Colter avenues in Mount Washington, and especially on the privately owned Sutton Lane apartment complex.
Violations cited included a refrigerator in an abandoned apartment full of rotted food and maggots, trenches in the yard where children were playing, and 11 abandoned cars.
"It's basically a real sad picture on life," neighborhood Officer Eric Franz said.
Thirty-four of the 104 apartments didn't have working smoke detectors. The Cincinnati Fire Division handed out 10 free smoke detectors and 24 batteries.
Police, firefighters, the board of health, the department of building and inspections, and the city's sanitation and litter patrol unit all issued citations.
One apartment with a caving-in ceiling and rotted drywall was immediately vacated.
The sweep followed one done last month in Columbia Tusculum. It's an effective tool to bring the buildings to at least satisfactory condition, Officer Franz said.
