Cincinnati is successfully fighting crime, but police remain under a microscope. The next mayor must keep the crime charts sloping in the right direction and be ready for the next police-involved shooting.

By many measures, Cincinnati is safer now than it has been in years. Since 2013, violent crime has fallen more than 11 percent. In fact, it has decreased each year since 2008, according to FBI statistics.

Property crime also dropped about 11 percent since 2013. And Cincinnati police have arrested fewer people each year during this period.

Cincinnati hasn't had two consecutive years of falling homicides rates since 2011. The number of killings yo-yo from year to year, sometimes drastically. But a look at the homicide rate per 100,000 residents shows a more stable picture hovering between 17 and 28 since 2001.

At the same time, massive street protests have gripped Cincinnati, and a former University of Cincinnati officer was tried twice on a murder charge. How will the next mayor keep a good thing going and address public concerns?

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Cranley's platform

On the mayor's campaign website under "safer communities," there's a list that's long on accomplishments, but short on new initiatives.

Since he's taken office, police have started to wear body cameras. The city started using a data-driven approach toward crime called PIVOT that can identify hotspots among other technologies.

The mayor also won the endorsement of Cincinnati's police union, and secured the first substantial raises for police and firefighters in a decade. Striking a balance, Cranley has said Black Lives Matter is "important," while the police union president says it spreads a "disgraceful" anti-police message.

This summer, there were about 7.5 percent more officers on the payroll and almost 6 percent more firefighters than when Cranley took office.

More street outreach workers are trying to prevent retaliatory violence after homicides.

"I have consistently stepped up to prioritize public safety and Councilmember Simpson has not," Cranley said.

Cranley called to renew the city's Collaborative Agreement, and Simpson has said she will continue the effort if elected.

The agreement, born out of the civil unrest of April 2001, redefined the relationship between officers and those they police. It became a national model for police-community relations, but it's now 15 years old.

Simpson's platform

While police-community relations may be a high priority for both candidates, Simpson has a more aggressive stance on "policing the police."

She is calling for better tracking and analysis of Cincinnati police traffic stops to see if racial disparities exist. Simpson also said the Citizen's Complaint Authority, which handles reports against police officers, is not fully staffed and should be.

Simpson also wants to increase violence and trauma training for community members who work with youth, such as school officials or recreation center workers. She has not fleshed out the details of who would qualify for this training and how it would be paid for.

This summer, Simpson wanted for $350,000 of city funds to go toward violence prevention. Cranley opposed the idea saying the funds were not going through the proper vetting process. Other council members successfully moved to have the money split between Simpson's cause and two organizations fighting the heroin epidemic.

Simpson's Human Trafficking Working Group led reforms to city laws and fines regarding prostitution. This was paired with a police effort using barricades and temporary road closures to break up prostitution centers.

“Our approach is preventative. His approach is reactive,” Simpson said. "John thinks that the law enforcement alone will work."

Who said it better?

"Violence plagues too many of our communities. Cincinnati’s crime rate has been stuck in a yo-yo for years. To have a real impact on crime, we must do things differently. We must address the root causes of violence. Violence is a disease. To prevent it, we must treat individuals, families, and communities that are victims of repeated trauma."

Yvette Simpson on her campaign website

"Policing efforts are important to our residents who are sometimes innocent victims of today’s violence, but a policing strategy alone treats the symptoms, not the disease. The disease is inequality and unacceptable disparities in health, wealth and education, especially pronounced in our African American and Latino communities."

John Cranley on his campaign website