Students at the University of Cincinnati have come together to create the Cincy Crime Stoppers Instagram page in an effort to alert students about incidents occurring around campus. The page was established by students who have been victims of various crimes and want to provide their peers with real-time alerts about criminal activity near the university. Hailey Smith, a junior criminal justice student who is a representative for the page, noted that the group felt a need for more information about crime near campus, especially given the frequency of incidents such as car break-ins in the area.
Cincy Crime Stoppers aims to not only provide students with more information about crime in the vicinity of the campus but also assist law enforcement in obtaining more tips. The group seeks to verify information before sharing it and focuses on disseminating important but unreported incidents. Most recently, the student community has been mourning the death of 21-year-old UC student Benjamin Addison, who was fatally shot while attempting to prevent a car theft. The father of Addison, Joe Addison, expressed his grief on social media, calling his son the light of his life and noting that Benjamin was a kind and compassionate individual who enjoyed spending time with family and friends.
In response to Addison’s death, Cincy Crime Stoppers and other students have expressed frustration with the lack of information provided by the university, emphasizing the need for the community to be informed and involved in addressing crime near campus. Smith highlighted that while hundreds of students shared the news of Addison’s death after it was posted by Cincy Crime Stoppers, the university had not issued a public statement regarding the incident. The group hopes to fill this gap by providing students with up-to-date information and encouraging them to stay vigilant in light of recent tragedies.
Prior to Addison’s death, a double shooting near UC’s campus resulted in a 21-year-old man being killed and a 16-year-old male victim being injured after a party on March 28. While overall violent crime has decreased during the pandemic, Cincinnati has seen an increase in teen shootings and vehicle thefts. In 2023, the city recorded 55 shooting victims aged 13 to 15, as well as a record number of vehicle thefts involving Kias and Hyundais. The rise in criminal activity underscores the importance of initiatives like Cincy Crime Stoppers in keeping communities informed and engaged in promoting safety and security.
As a finance and IT major at UC’s Lindner College of Business, Benjamin Addison was known for his kind and friendly nature, as well as his love for collecting game cards and spending time with loved ones. His tragic death has served as a catalyst for greater awareness and action among students and community members, prompting calls for increased transparency and communication from the university. Moving forward, initiatives like Cincy Crime Stoppers will continue to play a vital role in empowering the student body to stay informed, report suspicious activities, and work together to create a safer campus environment for all.
