State of the City: Cincinnati Mayor Pureval addresses youth violence, focus on violence reduction

CINCINNATI — In his State of the City, Mayor Aftab Pureval touched on a number of topics and issues including community outreach, the economy of the city, affordable housing and the ongoing issue of youth violence in Cincinnati.

"We have experienced real tragic and complex challenges — with youth violence, with our transit centers, and with public perception," Pureval said.

The search for solutions for youth violence across the city has been a focus for many. On Tuesday night, Pureval stated that the city is working every day towards progress and peace.

"Our police and first responders, our council, community partners and our incredible administration will never give up on progress and we will never give up on peace," Pureval said.

Pureval added that youth violence is down by more than 35% in 2024. He attributed this to the number of programs and work against violence, such as feeding students at Government Square, Advance Peace and a new crisis response team.

But he says the fight is far from over.

"The violence our communities experience, the universal accessibility of guns, it is and will remain unacceptable until we put a stop to it," Pureval said.

The mayor did not address taxpayer concerns about the conditions of Cincinnati roads or infrastructure. We spoke with Vice Mayor Jan-Michelle Kearney about these issues and asked her to share what initiatives the city is taking to improve road safety in Cincinnati.

"So the street has done a lot of street calming there, you see speed bumps everywhere and more to come," Kearney said. "You see bump-outs on the sidewalk, things that really make traffic slow down."

Kearney said as far as road condition and bridge repair, money from the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway will be used for those projects.

However, the biggest concern is the equitable distribution of funds.

"There are a lot of neighborhoods that have not been invested in, where streets are in really poor conditions, stairwells are in poor conditions, and some of the other infrastructure like the bridges and the firehouses," Kearney said.

Kearney said the money from the sale has not been spent yet, but it will be coming soon with an approved plan from city council.