Today, Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers released the statement below following an afternoon meeting with Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge and other stakeholders regarding the recent increase in youth violence in Cincinnati:

“As Prosecutor, it is my job to keep our community safe. Our city cannot thrive when citizens feel unsafe visiting or working in our downtown. We are pleased to work collaboratively with anyone that shares our goal of public safety. However, we need to recognize that this process must begin with getting violent offenders off our streets. Our courts and judges must recognize that releasing these offenders back out into our community, where they can continue to commit crimes and victimize innocent people, is making us all less safe.”