No one running for Cincinnati City Council this year wants to bring in the National Guard to fight crime.
That's according to The Enquirer survey of candidates, in which 22 of the 26 candidates responded.
Even the three Republicans running for City Council didn't call for the National Guard, though two of the three didn't give a direct "yes" or "no" response, instead suggesting other courses of action.
President Donald Trump has sent the military to American cities using crime as a justification.
Crime has become a top issue in the city election this year, particularly after some high-profile incidents this summer. Videos of a brawl at about 3 a.m. on July 26 on Fourth Street went viral and further thrust the issue of crime downtown into the spotlight.
We asked the city council candidates about using the military to curb crime. Answers have been edited for brevity.
Question: Should the National Guard be sent to Cincinnati to curb crime? What, if any, assistance from the Trump administration to fight crime would you accept?
Anna Albi, 33, of Madisonville
Political party endorsement: Democratic Party
Occupation: Cincinnati City Councilmember
"A safe community is not one where the National Guard rolls down our streets. Safe communities are communities where everyone is paid enough to afford a roof over their head, food on the table, and access to healthcare. That is why I believe firmly in a “yes, and” approach to tackling gun violence and broader safety initiatives. I do not believe that the city of Cincinnati requires outside help from the federal government to fight crime."
Audricia Brooks, 71, of North Avondale
Political party endorsement: None
Occupation: Retired nurse practitioner
"Absolutely none."
Jerry Corbett, 70, of Mt. Washington
Political party endorsement: None
Occupation: Retired Greater Cincinnati Water Works employee.
"The National Guard should absolutely not be sent to the City of Cincinnati. This would be an overreach of the Federal Government...The federal government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars sending the National Guard and U.S. military into U.S. cities. This money could be better spent for both short- and long-term solutions based on the needs of the communities impacted. I would accept more financial assistance to hire enough police officers to have a full complement on the force. This would enable the Cincinnati Police Department to do more community-oriented policing. The cities that are having the most success in lowering crime rates are putting more focus on police officers being more active in their assigned communities. I would also accept financial assistance in hiring trained mental health and social workers as part of the Cincinnati Police Department. They could respond to specific 911 calls as co-responders."
Jeff Cramerding, 52, West Price Hill
Political party endorsement: Democratic Party
Occupation: Cincinnati City Council, attorney for the American Association of University Professors at the University of Cincinnati
"No, we do not need the National Guard. That would be counterproductive. Downtown is vibrant and growing and we must continue to promote this while we make sure our police department has the resources to make our entire city one that is safe and welcoming. I would welcome any financial resources that could be used to make our city safer, such as hiring and retaining police officers."
Don Driehaus, 66, West Price Hill
Political party endorsement: Charter Committee
Occupation: Business owner in finance
"No. Assistance in funding, like the during the Clinton administration might be appropriate."
Laketa Cole, of Bond Hill.
Did not respond.
Kevin Farmer, of Avondale
Did not respond
Gary Favors, 58, of North Avondale
Political party endorsement: Republican Party
Occupation: Special education teacher at North Avondale Montessori
"As a military veteran, I know firsthand the difference between military and police training. The National Guard is trained for combat and national defense, not for policing our own citizens. Police officers, on the other hand, are trained to handle a wide range of circumstances within our communities, requiring skills in de-escalation, community engagement, and public safety. As a member of City Council, I would respect and follow the proper chain of command when additional support is needed. In Cincinnati, that means first working with our local leaders to determine what resources best serve our community. If further assistance is required, the request moves through the state, where the Governor has the discretion to call upon the National Guard or seek federal support...By following this process, we can provide the right kind of support at the right time, while protecting both public safety and community trust."
Steve Goodin, 55, of Clifton
Political party endorsement: Charter Committee
Occupation: Attorney and partner at Porter Wright Morrise & Arthur, former Cincinnati City Councilmember
"We do not need–nor do our citizens want – the National Guard to patrol the streets of Cincinnati. It is well-established under federal law that the Trump Administration cannot send troops to home-rule cities like Cincinnati without the governor’s consent (and that is clearly not forthcoming). I do not see this as a serious concern but if Trump were to take this kind of action, we would fight him in court (and win). A more serious question is whether the FBI, ATF, the local U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Pureval administration can put aside their political and jurisdictional squabbles and collaboratively work on staunching the flow of guns onto our streets."
Ryan James, 29, of the West End
Political party endorsement: Democratic Party
Occupation: former director of strategy for the United Way of Greater Cincinnati
"No, I do not support sending the National Guard to Cincinnati to curb crime. That kind of deployment is a deeply serious decision that should be reserved for emergencies beyond the capacity of local systems. Our residents deserve a public safety strategy that is rooted in long-term solutions and community trust–not one driven by fear or force. Bringing in the National Guard would only further erode trust in neighborhoods already working to heal from cycles of disinvestment and systemic inequity. As for federal assistance, I will always fight for resources that help Cincinnati residents live safer, healthier, and more stable lives. That means accepting funding for youth development programs, workforce training, neighborhood revitalization, and law enforcement reforms that build transparency and accountability. What I would not accept is any form of assistance that comes with strings attached that undermine the civil rights."
Mark Jeffreys, 56, of Clifton
Political party endorsement: Democratic Party
Occupation: Cincinnati City Councilmember, founder and CEO of 4Sight, a machine-learning company.
"No, we do not need the National Guard in Cincinnati. We have invested appropriately in public safety and with the recent collaboration with Governor Dewine we have the resources we need to ensure our streets are safe. The Governor has provided resources of the highway patrol, aerial support and other support of our Cincinnati Police Officers for which we are grateful; and that has been done in careful consideration of our Collaborative Agreement, which has dramatically improved civilian-police relations over the past 25 years. We do not need to militarize our streets with a National Guard presence."
Dawn Johnson, 42, of North Avondale
Political party endorsement: Charter Committee
Occupation: Owner of Home Solutions
"I do not believe sending the National Guard into Cincinnati is the right solution. Public safety must come from trust between the community and local law enforcement, not from militarizing our neighborhoods. The Guard is not trained for long term community safety, and their presence would risk escalating tensions instead of building peace. What we need are investments in the root causes of crime: access to mental health care, youth programs, jobs, affordable housing, and trauma informed approaches that help people heal and thrive...If individuals continue to choose violence after being given every opportunity and resource, stricter enforcement must come from within our justice system and local leadership, not from outside forces. If the federal government wants to help, it should be through resources that empower prevention and healing, such as funding for youth services, gun violence prevention programs, addiction treatment, and community based policing initiatives."
Scotty Johnson, 63, of Mt. Airy
Political party endorsement: Democratic Party
Occupation: Cincinnati City Councilmember, former Cincinnati Police Officer
"No, sending the National Guard is not necessary. I think we are in a good position currently working with the Highway Patrol. We have historically worked with the DEA, ATF, and FBI on cases here in Cincinnati for over 25 years and I would like for that to continue."
Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, of North Avondale(Age withheld by candidate)
Political party endorsement: Democratic Party
Occupation: Cincinnati City Councilmember
"Absolutely not. We do not need State Troopers patrolling our neighborhoods nor do we need the National Guard. Our Cincinnati Police Department is a national model. They are trained to work in our neighborhoods collaboratively with our residents whereas entities such as State Troopers have different training which is not be compatible with our CPD training. Our police officers and residents neither need nor want such intrusion from the outside."
Liz Keating, 41, of Hyde Park
Political party endorsement: Republican Party
Occupation: Former Cincinnati City Councilmember and former Vice President of Government Affairs at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce.
"We need targeted support from the federal government - specifically, stronger partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to go after violent criminals with illegal weapons and keep them off our streets. We also need federal resources to address the causes of crime. That means investing in youth programs, jobs, housing, and childcare. If the federal government is willing to provide support in those areas, I will welcome it. That’s how we make Cincinnati safer and stronger for the long term."
Dale Mallory, 66, of the West End
Political party endorsement: None
Occupation: retired from General Electric, former state representative
"We do not need the National Guard in our city to curb crime. We need good old fashion community policing. That being said, we have federal and state resources close by and we should be talking to them to get reinforcement where needed. I don’t appreciate any discussion of bringing in the National Guard, that is all about politics and our City is better than that."
Linda Matthews, 65, of North Avondale
Political party endorsement: Republican Party
Occupation: CEO of Millennium Energy
"The National Guard should not be sent to Cincinnati to act as law enforcement officials. The assistance from the Trump administration I would accept would include a significant influx of U.S. Marshals and agents from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and ICE into the Southern District of Ohio."
Brandon Nixon, 44, of Westwood
Political party endorsement: None
Occupation: Forklift operator at Skidmore
"I do not believe sending the National Guard to Cincinnati is the right solution. Our city needs long-term investments in prevention, opportunity, and community trust, not military presence. As President, Donald Trump has a responsibility to support all cities, and I pray he makes the right decisions. I would accept federal resources that fund youth programs, job creation, mental health, and community policing efforts–solutions that strengthen neighborhoods rather than escalate tensions."
Evan Nolan, 43, of Oakley
Political party endorsement: Democratic Party
Occupation: Cincinnati City Council and attorney with Katz Teller
"No, absolutely not. If the Trump administration was serious about helping address crime, they would grant funding for updating the technology and improving the transparency, communication, and processes at our Courthouse, as I described earlier, to more effectively punish those who engage in criminal activity and ultimately deter it from happening again. The Trump administration should also allocate funding for schools and youth programming so that our children, especially our teenagers, have the skills and resources they need to grow, learn, and be successful (like the Children’s Savings Account program that I have been leading). The Trump administration could also allocate funding to address our housing crisis, to provide much needed healthcare, and to make much needed improvements to public transit and infrastructure."
Meeka Owens, 47, of Avondale
Political party endorsement: Democratic Party
Occupation: Cincinnati City Council
"Our men and women in uniform in CPD are fully capable of serving the needs of our community with the leadership of Chief Theetge. The Cincinnati Police Department and the partnership that has been formed between the Ohio State Highway Patrol proves that collaboration and coordination among local law enforcement can help solve crimes efficiently."
Raffel Prophett, 65, of Avondale
Political party endorsement: None
Occupation: Retired Cincinnati firefighter, retired lieutenant colonel with the Army Reserve
"As a veteran and former National Guardsmen, deploying the guard would be completely inappropriate and counterproductive. Cincinnati doesn't have the kind of catastrophic emergency that would warrant military intervention. Militarizing our streets would damage the community-police relations we've worked so hard to build and doesn't address the underlying causes of crime....As for federal assistance, I would evaluate any offer based on whether it truly serves the needs of Cincinnati and aligns with our values. I would absolutely accept federal funding for proven violence prevention programs, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, workforce development, and community-based intervention programs. These are investments that work, and if the federal government wants to help fund them, that's great. However, I would reject approaches that prioritize mass incarceration, aggressive enforcement without community input, or programs that have been shown to harm community trust. Any federal partnership must respect local control and community input because we know our city better than Washington does. I'm more interested in evidence-based solutions than political theater."
Stephan Pryor, of Over-the-Rhine
Did not respond
Christopher Smitherman, 58, of North Avondale
Political party endorsement: None
Occupation: Licensed financial advisor
"Governor Mike DeWine has reached out to City Hall and for the most part has been rejected. Our County law enforcement should be engaged with the state to help fight crime. We have the resources between the city, county and state to deal with our crime issues in Cincinnati. The coordination with the federal government is through the federal prosecutors office. If a comprehensive plan is put together to fight crime there is never a need to have discussion about federal troops in our city."
Seth Walsh, 34, of the Central Business District
Political Party endorsement: Democratic Party
Occupation: Cincinnati City Councilmember, former CEO of the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation
"We should continue to support the work of our Cincinnati Police Department to keep our city safe. I am grateful for the partnership with state and local partners to support their work, and I do not think at this time we need the support of the National Guard."
Donald Washington, of Camp Washington
Did not respond
Aaron Weiner, 56, of Clifton
Political party endorsement: Charter Committee
Occupation: Realtor
"I do not support the National Guard being sent to the Cincinnati. I would certainly support federal funding to help with staffing. In addition, I would welcome federal funding to help alleviate some of the underlying causes of crime such as poverty and lack of adequate housing."