Cincinnati Police Warn 5% Cut Would Scale Service Back to Basic Patrol

Overview

• The police department, which briefed the Budget, Finance and Government Committee on Monday, said a 5% cut of about $11 million would shift service to core patrol with fewer investigations and slower responses.
• Interim Chief Adam Hennie said CPD has identified $6.6 million in savings by holding vacant sworn positions, delaying the next recruit class to fiscal 2028, and trimming smaller costs.
• With nearly 90% of the budget tied to personnel, Hennie warned deeper cuts would require staffing moves and could scale back Axon body-camera contracts, ShotSpotter gunshot detection, and the 24/7 crime center.
• CPD counts 959 officers against a budgeted 1,059, and a city monitoring report warned overtime could reach $13.9 million if vacancies and added patrol requests are not curbed.
• Committee Chair Jeff Cramerding said public safety remains a priority, noting that protecting police funding could force steeper reductions elsewhere, with the Fire Department set to present its plan Wednesday.