Crime in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

has been a concern of residents since the 18th century.

Earliest years

The first recorded crime in Cincinnati's history was a petty theft in 1789. Under the judgement of William McMillan, informally appointed justice of the peace, one Patrick Grimes was sentenced to twenty-nine

lashes Lashes may refer to: * Lashes, a form of Flagellation Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, Birching, rods, Switch (rod), switches, the cat o' ni ...

after being caught stealing cucumbers. That occurred during the first year of the settlement, then still named "Losantiville", when food and other resources were extremely scarce. Controversies over law enforcement quickly followed the establishment of government in the community: the military commander at Fort Washington deemed the region to be under his government, rejecting any authority set up by the settlers. When a second crime was reported to Judge McMillan, the accused fled to the fort for refuge, and the commander ordered Losantiville's court to renounce its jurisdiction. The judge replied with a message suggesting that the commander mind his own business, and blows ensued when a detachment of soldiers was sent to arrest the judge. However, permanent civilian law enforcement was established soon after the incident. In August 1788, the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

legislature, meeting in Marietta, had enacted an

enabling act An enabling act is a piece of legislation by which a legislative body grants an entity which depends on it (for authorization or legitimacy) for the delegation of the legislative body's power to take certain actions. For example, enabling act ...

creating a

Court of Quarter Sessions The courts of quarter sessions or quarter sessions were local courts that were traditionally held at four set times each year in the Kingdom of England from 1388; they were extended to Wales following the Laws in Wales Act 1535. Scotland establ ...

for the region, and local residents quickly took advantage of the law's provisions; William McMillan was named one of the court's first judges.

Crime over time

Overall violent crime reached an all-time low in 2022; rape and robbery went up that year, while homicides and aggravated assaults decreased. Property crimes went up in 2022, primarily driven by an increase in auto thefts. Using FBI data for 2023-2024, Cincinnati ranks 14th in the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. for overall crime rate (includes both violent and property crime). Homicides reached a record high 96 in 2020, and the record was matched in 2021. There were 87 homicides in 2022; of those, 78 involved a firearm. The City of Cincinnati publishe
several public safety dashboards online
* Fire & Rescue * Emergency Medical Services * Police Calls for Service * 911 Call Performance * Alternative Response to Crisis * Reported Crime * Reported Shootings * Traffic Crashes * Police Firearm Discharge * Use of Force * Assaults on Officers * Traffic Stops * Pedestrian Stops * Closed Citizen Complaints

References

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