Four shootings in two weeks: The crime crisis surrounding the University of Cincinnati

Four shootings near the University of Cincinnati in the first two weeks of the semester finally got City Hall’s attention.

Mayor Aftab Pureval (D) announced increased police patrols, street closures, additional lighting, and other emergency measures around campus. “This is not OK,” the mayor said.

Meanwhile, parents are left watching a multimillion-dollar administrative machine move with all the urgency of a DMV line at 4:55 p.m.

No kidding.

Whose jurisdiction?

Every semester, thousands of parents hand over tuition checks to the University of Cincinnati under the naive assumption that municipal leaders and campus officials hold a basic interest in keeping their children safe.

Off campus, along Clifton and Short Vine, students have instead encountered shootings and persistent violence. Cincinnati has long carried the unflattering nickname “Cincinasty.” These days, the joke is