Jason Williams

jwilliams@enquirer.com

A decade ago, Derek Bauman lived and worked in Mason. He had a comfortable and quiet suburban life.

That ended in 2010, when the police officer moved to Over-the-Rhine. He's been making a name for himself ever since, becoming one of the most outspoken advocates for Cincinnati's urban renaissance and using his influence to raise thousands of dollars for the family of a slain Cincinnati police officer and an inner-city youth sports program.

Bauman now is giving politics a try. He plans to officially announce Thursday night he's running for Cincinnati City Council.

Several years ago, Bauman started volunteering in Downtown and OTR. He developed relationships with fellow progressive Democrats who wanted to be on the front line of OTR's resurgence. He volunteered on a campaign in 2009 to help pass a referendum on the streetcar project. Months later, he bought a condo just off Vine Street.

"The streetcar is the primary reason why I moved here," Bauman said. "I saw the vision. I believed in it, and I bought into it."

Bauman's lack of citywide name recognition make him an underdog in the council race, which is heating up this month with several candidates officially launching their campaigns.

But the 48-year-old Cleveland native has gained respect in Cincinnati's urban core, a strong social media following and media recognition for his unwavering efforts to improve the region's public transportation system. He's also not hesitated to help others, having started a GoFundMe page in 2015 that has raised over $207,000 for Officer Sonny Kim's widow and children. Bauman also has coached and raised money for the West End Reds, a baseball and softball program.

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In addition to his streetcar advocacy, Bauman has worked tirelessly to improve Amtrak service between Cincinnati and Chicago. He's developed relationships with government officials across Southwest Ohio and Indiana. Bauman, regional director for the transit advocacy group All Aboard Ohio, also is leading the local NAACP's committee to improve Greater Cincinnati's bus system to better connect people to jobs. He believes a robust public transportation system is a key to fighting poverty, in addition to attracting car-ditching young adults to live and work in the city.

Public safety also is important to Bauman, who has spoken out in The Enquirer and on local radio about policing issues. He spent 26 years in law enforcement before retiring last year due to a leg injury he sustained in the line of duty. Bauman believes his experience – including two years as president of Mason's police union – could help him tackle public safety issues at City Hall, such as police-community relations and the heroin epidemic. He worked for police departments in Medina County before moving to Mason in 2003.

"I started in 1990 before community policing was a buzzword," Bauman said. "Having worked for suburban and small-town police departments, it helped me understand the importance of community policing because you get to know people in the community and build their trust."

Follow Enquirer politics reporter Jason Williams on Twitter @jwilliamscincy.