In November 2023, the city “restructured” our police districts. District 5 was eliminated. The Cincinnati Police Department had been operating out of  5 Districts for 150 years.  Mayor  Purveal and the current city council (currently up for reelection) decided that they did not want to invest $20 million in a new HQ for District 5, which had been in the works for 7 years, so they came up with a “restructuring plan” for the police. The effective date of District 5’s elimination was November 12, 2023.

On 8.14.25, I submitted a public records request for any evaluation of the restructuring.  On 8.18.25, I receved a response. Two powerpoint slide decks were provided as responsive documents. One was the 2024 “Year in Review,” for the police and the other was “Change in Response Times, Redistricting 90 Day Comparison.”

One unusual thing about the city’s responsive documents is that the “Comparison” slide deck is dated 8.18.25, which is after my public records request. So, it looks like they did do an analysis but never issued it publicly. What does that tell you?

The slide deck does its best to confuse the issue, but the fact is that a proper evaluation of the restructuring involves more than an analysis of response times. A lot more.

In episode 28 of “Citizen Watchdog with Todd Zinser,” I discuss how the elimination of District 5 is a prime example of how this mayor, this city council, and this city manager are disinvesting in public safety.

Cincinnati_Police_Department_-_Year_End_2024_Review (1)

Response_Time_Presentation_-_Wide_Screen (1)

Yahoo Mail – Follow up to public comments on 9.17.25 re District 5