Robberies, as well as other crimes, are declining in the Uptown professional and business center of Cincinnati, accordng to the latest six-month study - Jan. 1 to June 30, 2010. This follows a 14 percent reduction in crime across Cincinnati in comparison to the same period in 2009.

Avondale had 89 robberies during the first six months of 2009, compared to only 39 in 2010, falling from the second highest neighborhood in the city in that category to the ninth position. Avondale had 89 robberies in six-month period in 2009, which represents 36 percent of all the robberies within the Uptown communities. But in the same period in 2010, Avondale had 39 robberies, which represents more than 23 percent of all robberies within the Uptown communities.

A recent report prepared for the Uptown Consortium Inc. by Billy Henson, Davin Hall, and Robin S. Engel, Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati Policing Institute, details the overall crime reduction in Cincinnati’s Uptown neighborhoods. offenses during the first six months of 2010. The report shows violent offenses -- murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault -- have decreased by 25 percent in the area, and property offenses -- including burglary, theft, and vehicle theft -- have decreased by about 16 percent. The figures are for the first six months in the 2009 and 2010 comparison. Of the seven Uptown neighborhoods, only Fairview reported an increase in violent offenses.

Of greatest concern in the Uptown area are the neighborhoods of Fairview, Mount Auburn, and Avondale. Fairview and Corryville both have a large concentration of theft and burglary offenses. Avondale has seen an overall decrease in crime, but maintains a high concentration of theft and criminal damaging.

The Uptown area is defined as the neighborhoods of Avondale, Clifton, Clifton/University Heights, Corryville, Fairview, Mount Auburn, and North Avondale.

In the overall area of the city of Cincinnati, Westwood leads all other neighborhoods with 88 robberies for the study periods, followed by Over-the-Rhine with 74 robberies and East Price Hill with 66 robberies. East Price Hill and Walnut Hills round out the top five with 60 and 52 robberies. Comparing robbery counts from Jan to June 2010 to Jan to June 2009 demonstrates significant decreases across Cincinnati of 14 pecent, and within certain neighborhoods. For example, Avondale had 89 robberies during the first six months of 2009, compared to only 39 in 2010, falling from the second highest neighborhood in the city in 2009 to the ninth highest in 2010.

Collectively, the Uptown neighborhoods account for 17 percent of the total number of robberies reported from January 1 to June 30, 2010, in the City of Cincinnati, and 16 percent of the total city population.

Street robberies accounted for almost 62 percent of all robberies in the Uptown area. Parking areas, which include both surface lots and garage complexes, accounted for 14 percent of all Uptown robberies. Commercial buildings -- including convenience stores, eating establishments, and grocery stores -- were the next most common place, at 10 percent, followed by residential buildings such as single-family and multi- family buildings at about 10 percent. Avondale and North Avondale experienced the highest percentage of residential robberies.

A firearm was used in more than half of the Uptown area robberies, following by physical assault of the victim. In more than 17 percent of robberies in the Uptown neighborhoods, the offender did not use any weapon. Knifes were seldom used.

Many neighborhoods show fairly comparable rates of Black and White robbery victims within the gender categories. Current research indicates that problem oriented approaches show the most promise in decreasing robbery.