AGAIN: Shootings up 25% in Cincinnati

Haven't we been told that Ohio's 150 year-old concealed-carry ban was supposed to prevent headlines like these? Weren't we led to believe we'd be reading stories like this AFTER Ohio's concealed handgun law goes into effect?

March 4, 2004
Cincinnati Post

The latest Cincinnati "Quality of Life Index" and crime report shows that crime is slightly down, but shootings are up.

The index was started by Cincinnati City Council two years ago as a way of tracking progress, or lack of it, in city services.

The index, along with crime statistics, is presented quarterly by the city manager's office to council's law committee.

The report for the fourth quarter of 2003 and for the entire year, issued this week, showed that the number of violent crimes dropped slightly from 29,216 in 2002 to 28,633 in 2003.

However, the number was still significantly higher than in 2000, when 23,503 violent crimes were reported. Violent crime took a sharp increase to 28,262 in 2001, when there were riots, and remains at a higher level than in pre-riot years.

Shootings with injuries jumped from 246 in 2002 to 397 last year.

"The firearm discharge is very troubling," said David Pepper, chairman of the law committee.