A team of Cincinnati police officers hits the streets today to attack the city's unprecedented violence.

        Their first targets are on a new comprehensive list of Most Wanted fugitives.

Police Chief Tom Streicher, in front of portraits of slain officers, ponders a question about the Violent Crimes Task Force. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        “There's a crisis in the city at this time,” Chief Tom Streicher said. “These people, their names, keep surfacing during these investigations. But people who are out there doing these things are going to find out that it's over.”

        The 70 members of Cincinnati's new Violent Crimes Task Force spent Tuesday planning how they'll fight the continuing shootings, which have increased more than 600 percent over the same period last year. The latest incidents Monday night and early Tuesday in Pleasant Ridge left four victims, two of them shot to death at point-blank range while witnesses watched.

        Eighty people have been shot in Cincinnati since the protests and riots of April 9-12. Homicides now total 25, up from 18 at this time last year.

        Chief Streicher addressed the hand-picked group of task force officers Tuesday, ordering them to focus on finding the 42 men and women on the division's new Most Wanted list. He said he told the officers: “Rely on your training, use force if you have to and I'll support you.”

        “We're going to go out and try to apprehend these people,” the chief said. “They are committing a lot of the violence.”

        The division has never before produced such a comprehensive list of fugitives, nor put forth such a concerted effort to track them, said Lt. Steve Wilger, the task force's investigative lead coordinator and a 32-year veteran.

        “We're coming up with some of the same characters involved in these situations,” he said. “Once we put some of these people in jail, I think we're going to see a reduction.”

        Not all of the fugitives on the list are wanted for violent incidents. But many are sought for reasons detectives know about that aren't reflected in their current charges, the chief said.

MOST WANTED

• Infographic: Cincinnati's most wanted felons.

        “Smaller incidents can evolve into these retaliatory shootings,” he said. “Sometimes it's just over something as simple as theft. It's a cycle of violence. Drug-related crimes are related to street robberies. They're related to prostitution. A lot of the shootings themselves have occurred as a result of other criminal conduct.”

        The Rev. Damon Lynch III, leader of Cincinnati Black United Front and a member of Mayor Charlie Luken's Cincinnati CAN group, said “proper police presence is necessary to restore and stabilize the community. I think if the police and community join together, it can have a positive effect.

        “People who live in these communities want to live in safe neighborhoods,” he said. “They will do their part and we expect law enforcement to do its part.”

        The team of uniformed officers, investigators, undercover drug specialists and others will also make drug buys and crack down on prostitution.

        The task force will promote Crime Stoppers' number — 352-3040 — as its hot line. Tipsters stay anonymous and can get up to $1,000 for good information.

        “We're going to hit it really hard to find these people,” said Sgt. Sylvia Ranaghan, who will oversee the new fugitives list. “Everyone's interested in having this violence stop.”

        The list will be published on the Crime Stoppers Web site, www.uc.edu/www/crimestoppers.

        Chief Streicher started his task force members' strategy session by speaking to them in private. He wanted to say some things about using force and being supported, he said, and wanted to do it strongly in a way cops understand.

        The issues of force and support have been key since the May 7 indictment of Officer Stephen Roach in the shooting death of suspect Timothy Thomas, which helped spark the April riots. Officer Roach's colleagues have said they're afraid now that they'll be prosecuted for doing their jobs, so they've admitted to doing less self-initiated police work.

        “They know the difference between right and wrong,” the chief said. “They need to go out there and do their jobs. Period. They need to know that they're going to be supported, if it comes to that.”

        Ross Love, president of Blue Chip Broadcasting and a co-chairman with the Rev. Mr. Lynch of Cincinnati CAN, said he fully supports the police division's effort.

        “As a community, we must take a strong stance against this sudden epidemic of violence and we believe we need to see the community and the police department work closer together as never before,” he said. “We need the police and community leaders to become activist partners in stopping the violence.”

        The task force has no set lifetime. The chief said he didn't know how to predict how long quelling the violence might take.

        “People here, the bad guys, have to know and understand that there are consequences for their own actions,” Chief Streicher said. “I'd love to tell you we're going to be finished with it in six days. But I don't think that's realistic.”
       

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