James Pilcher

jpilcher@enquirer.com

The number of people getting shot in Cincinnati climbed by nearly 28 percent last year, making 2015 the most violent year in the decade so far.

In addition, there were 71 homicides in the city, up nearly 13 percent compared with 2014.

That 2015 number is well short of 2006’s all-time high of 88.

Last year’s 479 shooting victims were the most since 2006, when there were 510.

Throughout the year, political and law enforcement officials struggled to find answers for the outbreak of violence, which included several multi-victim shootings. And it rivals the last major violence outbreak between 2002-05, when nearly 1,600 people were shot.

The issue was cited as one of the reasons for the September firing of Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell. Recently, newly appointed Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac called the rise in violence “unacceptable.”

Reducing the number of shootings in 2016 “is our No. 1 priority,” Mayor John Cranley told The Enquirer Monday. “We had morale and leadership issues with the police department, which we have changed. We are fully implementing our evidenced-based approach. And unlike other cities that are fighting a two-front war with violence and bad community relations with the police, we have community leaders walking arm-in-arm with our police officers on the street in an effort to reduce the violence.

What's behind the rise in Cincinnati shootings?

“But that is no consolation to the victims that we’re less bad than other cities. So we’re going to try and stem this starting immediately.”’

Police Capt. Paul Neudigate said Monday that the homicide numbers could have been higher if not for strong emergency room care at University of Cincinnati Medical Center and other hospitals in the city.

“We are fortunate that we have had a number of nonfatal shootings not turn into homicides because of that great care,” said Neudigate, who heads the department’s special investigations and gang control units.

Cincinnati wasn’t the only city to suffer renewed violence last year. Cities throughout the U.S., from Chicago to Baltimore to Louisville, saw similar surges in the number of shooting victims, many with much higher rates than those seen in Cincinnati. Indianapolis had its most deadly year on record with 144 homicidesas well as 447 nonfatal shootings, a 24 percent jump from the previous year.

What gun violence looks like

Cranley said that the police department has added 100 officers in the last two years, including 53 recruits sworn in Monday. He said the city was recommitting to the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence, or CIRV, the program that tries to target repeat offenders and create cooperation between agencies.

Neudigate said police were starting to work with federal agencies and the local U.S. Attorney’s Office to convict violent felons on federal gun charges, which can carry more jail time than state charges.

“If you are someone with a violent record and are caught using a gun committing a crime, we’re looking at those kinds of individuals and get the biggest bang for our buck when it comes to jail time,” Neudigate said.

In the city,the most shootings occurred in Avondale with 52, followed by Westwood with 46, Walnut Hills with 38 and Over-the-Rhine with 36. Thirteen city neighborhoods – including Hyde Park, Mount Adams, Mount Lookout and Oakley – had no shootings in 2015.

Last year, The Enquirer published a two-day investigation into the possible causes for the violence. Those reasons include:

Easier access to guns.

A different way of dealing drugs, and a shortage of such drugs.

Younger, more violent offenders.

A cycle of violence and revenge, as well as a culture of silence and fear among possible witnesses.

Fewer anti-violence workers on the street such as those with Cease Fire, an organization that works to prevent families from seeking revenge.

In addition, the investigation revealed that most of the shooting victims were black males under age 30, a statistic that held true the rest of the year. Nearly 90 percent of the 2015 shooting victims were male, while 90 percent were black. The average victim’s age was 28.8 years old.

“It really has been an upward trend without a single reason we can point to,” Neudigate said. “But we’re hoping that changes in 2016.”

On mobile? Tap here to see where the gun violence is in Cincinnati.