October 2, 2006

Mr. Mike Samoviski

Hamilton City Manager

345 High Street

Hamilton, OH 45011

Mike:

I am sending you this correspondence out of what I feel is a dire need. I am concerned about the 4^th Ward and our community standards.

In the past ten days, I have personally walked through the 4^th Ward and have witnessed human feces on the side walk; trash on the ground, trash cans set on the curbs and in front of homes that are overflowing with beer cans and debris. Junk cars are parked everywhere and other cars are parked on the sidewalks and in yards. There are houses that are, and others that should be, boarded up. These homes present a life threatening danger to emergency personnel that may be called to respond to one of them. I have also noted that a great number of homes in this area are occupied by more people than what the home was built for. It appears as if there is no enforcement of the city codes and the 4^th Ward has become an island within the City of Hamilton.

This area has gotten totally out of control. For instance, a vehicle transporting inmates from another county had to stop over an incident involving what was first reported as an attempted rape. These officers could not make contact with our office or Hamilton Police Department as their radios are not on our frequencies, not to mention they have a van full of inmates whose safety they are responsible for. Suspicious incidents have been noticed on a regular basis by other police agencies traveling here through the 4^Th ward and again, they cannot make contact with us by their radios to alert us to the activity and they are not in their jurisdiction to be able to do anything about it.

As the largest employer in the 4^th Ward, I am concerned for the safety of my employees who have to drive to and from work. I am also concerned for the safety of visitors to the jail, such as lawyers, citizens obtaining records, CCW license, etc. In addition, we have numerous employees of other county agencies traveling through this area to drop off or pick up prisoners, or have another need to visit our facility from agencies throughout Ohio and the United States. With all of the pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers and the violence on the streets, something must be done soon or I feel the 4^th Ward will become to Hamilton what Over the Rhine is to Cincinnati.

I am asking the City of Hamilton governmental agencies to set up some type of communication with this office so we can address this situation immediately.

Very Truly Yours,

Sheriff Richard K. Jones