FOP Pres Ken Kober - Protests and Violence Downtown

Seven six fifty five par Ce Talk Station by Tonis Fish and everybody a very happy Monday, and welcoming back to the fifty five Parsee Morning Show FLP President Chapter sixty nine since I Police Departments Union, it's Ken Cober, Welcome back. Can It's always great having you on the program.

Than good morning, Brian, thanks for having me.

So this protest they had downtown I understand, is that fifty fifty one protest just basically expressing out loud anger against the Trump administration, screaming fascism and all that kind of stuff. Uh, and these are happening more and more often, I guess, mayor I have toab pervol was down there joining in the crowd? Were there any you know, police involved incidents or incidents where the police had to be involved, was it violent? What did the cause any property destruction?

Well sure, there were about forty policemen there that were either on canceled off days, so instead of being in the communities that they normally serve they're down there, and they were down there primarily because there was a large group of people that were blocking streets and know they didn't have a permit.

And that's that's the biggest exception that I take with this.

I support their First Amendment right to go protest and be mad at the things they want to be mad at. However, it costs the city roughly fifteen thousand dollars for police protection that the city paid for when they're supposedly in a crisis now where they're asking city departments to cut five percent of their budget and we're just giving them free service.

You know, Flying Pig doesn't get that.

You know, Taste the Cincinnati Octoberfest, all those events have to get permits to close streets, and I just don't understand why this group is any different.

Well, and I understand why the mayor of the city is sincin and that it was there egging people on and participating in street closures when he, more than anyone, should know that a permit is required to do that, and he more than anyone should know about the budget issues that we are facing and the idea that well the taxpayer is going to be paying for all this extra law enforcement. It's absurd.

Yeah, completely agree.

I mean it's said I support their right to protest, but they need to do at their expense, not the cities, not the taxpayers. So I'm sure there were taxpayers that are paying for some of this that probably didn't have the same to used as them.

And that's the biggest exception I take to this. And then to have the.

Mayor there on top of it, where they're engaging in an unlawful activity by closing the streets without a permit is unlawful.

Well, given that it is unlawful, seeing to me, it might have been a nice thing to do just to arrest the mayor. I mean, if you're going to arrest somebody and make an illustration of the unlawful reality of what they're doing, why not just make it the figurehead of the City of Cincinnatian government.

That would make some headlines, wouldn't it.

Yeah, that'd be great, and then you'd have to go on and defend himself that I mean, did anybody with the police department reach out like Teresa Thiji or maybe you know, just hey, listen to aftab. What you're doing here isn't lawful? And you might want to address that and do something about.

It, not that I'm aware of now. No, I don't suspect that they're going to.

Well, then I suppose this type of thing is going to continue, then, isn't it.

Oh, there's no doubt.

I mean, they're going to continue to have these protests, They're going to continue not to get permits, and they're going to have the police will be there to continue to protect them at the taxpayer's expense.

Well, protecting them and engaging in activity. Is it criminal activity to shut down a street without a permit?

I mean, is it?

Does it rise to a level of a misdemeanor or a sitable offense?

One would argue, yes, it is absolutely illegal, especially if you're the one that's trying to get around to this, you know, through the city in a vehicle and you can't because there's large groups of people that.

Are blocking traffic.

Yes, one would say that that is probably an arrestable offense.

Well, were the police officers instructed not to issue citations?

I would suspect that answer is also yes. Absolutely, they were there to make sure that these folks are safe, and that's exactly what occurred.

Safe in their unlawful conduct. H correct, I'm having a difficult time reconciling those two positions there, Ken.

Yeah, yeah, it's no different than they had a event Sunday. Of course, yesterday was four twenty where there was encourage to smoke marijuana in public.

There are some officers that raise the question as to how can we do this?

And the city law department has told the police department that there is no expectation to enforce this law. So that's where we're at with city government right now in Cincinnati.

So basically encouraging lawless this.

Yeah, I mean it's I've got the email that's there is no expectation to enforce this law.

Well that's a sorry state of affairs.

Can.

I know you're you're just telling us the facts, but that really, I mean, I can't feel anything good but sort of almost despair over that situation, especially noting that the mayor was actively engaged in blocking the streets and protesting. I'm shocked, I honestly can I'm shocked. What's the general consensus among the police officers you talked to. I got to imagine they're a little disappointed at themselves.

Well that's how I ended up you know, finding out about this is you know, I had some officers that were there working that were kind of complaining that this just isn't right.

Why why is this? Why are they allowed to do this?

But if some people have to get permits, some people don't, you know, they're there to do a job, which is to protect this people, which is what they did, and they did it with the utmost professionalism. But the fact that the they're allowed to do these things without a permit, that's so that's the biggest issue that I just don't.

Understand well selective law enforcement. And I suppose one may argue that if it wasn't this fifty one fifty group, and it was a bunch of you know, uh picket fill in the blank with any other type of activity organization, I mean, pick an offensive one like you know, maybe a clan member rally or something, I imagine a whole lot of people will be rounded up and issued citations for breaking the law. But because it's these leftists that are backed by the mayor, then they get a free pass.

I don't know.

I just it's disturbing, Ken Cobra, It's just disturbing, also disturbing and pivoting over violence on the Bank's question, should we stay the hell away from the banks downtown at night, because I know it's kind of it's obviously widely reported there's been a lot of crime there Ken.

Yeah, it's getting harder and harder to tell people that it's safe that they should go down there when you know, these shootings are seem to be occurring every weekend there. And it's a shame because it's such a neat area, you know, and the Reds are in town, you know, but it gets to a certain point in the night and it's just it's overrun with criminals. And that's that's the shame, because it is a really really neat place down there.

Yeah, it is.

And you know, the more the word gets out about violence, the fewer few people are gonna want to go downtown. And all these efforts to remake Cincinnati and try to encourage people to want to invest in and live in the city of Cincinnati, that they can't go anywhere unless you get a handle on crime and make it appear at least that the city is a safe place to be.

Yeah, it's a shame because the people that are causing these you know, violent encounters. They're not down there patronizing these businesses anyway. They're down there to try to start trouble and it ruins it for the good people of Cincinnati that are that are there to patronize these businesses to you know, go have a drink, have dinner, and you know, they're end up getting caught in the.

Middle of a shooting. And it's just it's it's ridiculous that it goes on.

Is this young people like youth violence, maybe like miners that are running around with firearms, or are these adults down there running around with firearms? Is it a mixed bag of everything.

Yeah, it's a mixed bag. There's no rhyme or reason.

They'll have thirty forty fifty kids running around there, You'll creating chaos, and then you'll have people in their early twenties shooting each other.

There's no real rhyme or reason. It's just for whatever reason, people want to go down there.

You said, these people aren't patronizing these businesses, they're they're they're just waiting to find a victim.

Well, and without a substantial police presence and police officers who have been instructed to issue citations otherwise round people up and arrest them. I can only imagine it's going to get worse, Ken, Yeah, and that's.

Part of the problem is they're being told they don't do anything just standing there. I mean, we had somebody shot in front of a policeman last summer.

Oh my god.

So I mean having a police presence there isn't necessarily going to deter it. When you have people that are just held bent on being criminals.

Well and also noting full well that the justice system is not going to hold them accountable even if they are arrested. We've got a real problem with that, and I think the word has gotten out. It's like the open border situation. When the whole world found out that we weren't enforcing our own borders. The whole world showed

Yeah, it's a sad state of affairs right now in Hamilton County, that's for sure.

Ken. I wish you had more positive information for my listeners and me, but it is what it is, and you've obviously illustrated a problem we've got on our hands. And let's start with the mayor. Next time, arrest the mayor. We'll see what happens. How's that?

I think, like you said, that would make fantastic headlines.

I'll keep my fingers across that happens. Ken, Thanks to spend the time my listening to me today, and God bless you and each and every one of this insane police department officers.

Sure, thanks for having.

Me anytime anytime, seven sixteen fifty five K see the talk station JAS. That's sad, gonna reelect him anyway. We're reflecting on the passing of the pope this morning, and my Catholic friends out there are probably feeling that a little sad about that.

You know.

It's Gay to Heaven Cemetery, perfect place for reflection. It's gorgeously maintained a cemetery. They have rolling hills, mature trees. Landscaping is guard gorgeous in this time of year with the flowers coming up. It's just nice winding roads pathways you can just take a nice stroll through there. It's good for you to get you out of the house and away from the computer for a while. Check out the seasonal flowers, the trim lawns, reflective water features. Really

This is fifty five karc an iHeartRadio station,