On the Job 

On a Thursday afternoon, seven men sat quietly in the jury box of a Butler County courtroom listening to testimony about the suffering caused by gun violence. They weren’t part of a jury, though, in fact, they were called to the court by their parole officers to listen to a warning about the perils of criminal life.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office arranges such call-ins not only in Hamilton, but also in Akron, Ashtabula, Euclid, Fostoria, Fremont, Lima, Middletown, Sandusky, Steubenville, and Warren, as part of the Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.

The initiative assists communities experiencing a high level of gun violence by focusing on the most violent offenders. Before each call-in, the coordinator of the initiative, Assistant Attorney General Bob Fiatal, and an analyst from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation talk to law enforcement officers about violence and drug activity. Then, they sort through cases and see which of the violent offenders are on probation or parole and ask them to attend the call-in.

 “We want to give these individuals the opportunity to walk away from the culture of crime and to outline the very serious consequences they'll face if they decide instead to commit another violent act,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. 

Representatives from law enforcement, the community, social services, pastors, and victims of crime are invited to speak at call-in events.

 “The community’s most violent criminals, and gang leaders on parole or probation, are directed to appear and then urged by local law enforcement to either change their ways and seek help if they need it, or face severe penalties if they commit more violent crimes,” Fiatal said.

The stakes are high for the call-in participants. At the one in Butler County, Hamilton Police Chief Craig Bucheit presented a display showing members of two area gangs. He pointed out the members who had been gunned down, those who are facing charges, and those who have already been sent to prison.

“We know about the guns and the gangs and the drugs. If you’re running a gang. If you’re out there selling dope, if you’re carrying guns, we’re going to come after you,” he said. “I don’t want you on this board; I don’t want you dead; and I don’t want you sitting in prison. But that is absolutely what’s going to happen if you don’t change your path. You’ve got a choice.”

Emily Glatfelter, assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, told the men that her office is concerned about the spike in violence in Hamilton and is determined to do something about it.

“We have meetings and talk about who are the worst of the worst on the street. And we go after them,” she said. Federal charges translate to time in federal prisons far from Ohio. The closest federal prison is Big Sandy, near Inez, Ky., about four hours from Hamilton.

The call-in participants cringed when Jennifer Mason, an emergency medical services manager at Fort Hamilton Hospital, showed graphic images of gunshot wounds and talked about living with serious injuries.

“You play the game of carrying the gun, you might survive it, but this is what you have to live with,” she said. “They will try to reconstruct you, but you won’t be the same.”

The call-in participants grew especially somber when Willis Marshall, of the Community Behavioral Health social service hotline talked about the unintended consequences of gang life.

“The actions that you take not only impact you, but impact everybody that cares about you,” he said. “It’s especially hard for a child to forget seeing their dad taken away from them.”

Marshall told them about a youngster who asked for his help. 

“I had a 7-year-old child who came in totally distraught about her daddy being out there in the madness,” Marshall said. “No matter how much that girl prayed, or how many tears she shed, she couldn’t get her daddy to change. The only way that’s going to stop and get better in this community is you guys stopping.”

At the end of the session, each participant was handed a card with a phone number to call for social services. The Attorney General’s Office has a contract with the agencies to help those who participate to get jobs, rehab or counseling.

One of the program’s success stories is a young man who had been homeless since he was 11 years old and ended up on a bad path, Fiatal said. After a call-in, the young man reached out and said he wanted to go back to high school. With some assistance, he was able to get back in school and graduate. He now attends college.

For more information on the program contact Fiatal at 216-787-3714 or Robert.Fiatal@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.