Contributed
Cincinnati bought an existing gun range in Evendale in 1947 to train Cincinnati police officers. Lincoln Heights, next to Evendale, was officially incorporated in 1947. Lincoln Heights and nearby Woodlawn were not densely populated at the time, but both grew. By the 1960s, Lincoln Heights was a City with about 8,000 residents.
For the last three or more decades, various political leaders discussed the need to move the gun range to a more remote location. There was no progress made.
And then came Lincoln Heights Councilmember Daronce Daniels and the Heights Movement — Celeste Treece, Carlton Collins and others. They sought the help of Sen. Sherrod Brown, who reached out to Renee Mahaffey Harris, president & CEO of the Center for Closing the Health Gap, and then to Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney who had only been on Cincinnati City Council for a few months at the time.
Kearney asked Councilmember P.G. Sittenfeld to hold a hearing on Oct. 6, 2020 in his Environment Committee to share the negative impact that the gun range was having on surrounding communities, per the request of Alea Brown from Sen. Brown’s office, Daniels, and Mahaffey-Harris. The session included compelling testimony from Dr. Brian Earl, a UC audiologist, Renee Mahaffey, leaders and residents of Lincoln Heights and Woodlawn.
In attendance were members of Cincinnati City Council, mayors of Evendale, Lincoln Heights, and Woodlawn, Hamilton County Commissioners, representatives of the offices of Sen. Sherrod Brown and Sen. Rob Portman, Assistant Police Chief Teresa Theetge (who now is Cincinnati’s police chief) and others.
Hamilton County Commissioner President Alicia Reece. 
Breaking ground for the new Regional Safety Complex: (Left to right) Rep. Cecil Thomas, Mayor Dick Finan, Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluoto, Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long, Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge, Sen. Sherrod Brown’s Chief of Staff Joyce Powdrill, Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, Hamilton County Commission Vice President Denise Driehaus, Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece, Hamilton County Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey, Sen. Cathy Ingram, Lincoln Heights Mayor Ruby Mumphrey, Woodlawn Mayor Brian Poole, and Heights Movement members Carlton Collins, Celeste Treece, and Daronce Daniels (who also is a Lincoln Heights councilmember) 
Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus. Credit: Lyons Photography 
Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney. Credit: Lyons Photography 
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge with Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey (at podium).
The result was agreement that the area around the Cincinnati Police Department’s gun range now was too densely populated and Cincinnati needed to relocate the range.
“Police Chief Eliot Isaac, county commissioners Stephanie Summerow Dumas and Denise Driehaus, several others and I visited numerous sites,” said Vice Mayor Kearney. “After looking at an indoor gun range which was not suitable, County Commissioner Driehaus called me and suggested that we consider sharing the Hamilton County Sheriff’s site.” Kearney said that both she and Chief Isaac liked the idea. Commissioner Driehaus began arranging meetings with all parties involved: Gov. Mike DeWine, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey, State Reps. Cindy Abrams and Tom Brinkman, Hamilton County Commissioners Alicia Reece and Stephanie Dumas, Colerain Township Trustees Wahlert, Unger, Rajagopal and later, Ulrich, Evendale Mayor Dick Finan, Woodlawn Mayor Brian Poole, and Lincoln Heights Mayor Ruby Kinsey-Mumphrey, former Colerain Township Police Chief Mark Denney, Lincoln Heights Councilmembers, the Heights Movement members, and others.
“We had more than three years of meetings to discuss concerns, plans, and to engage all stakeholders, including the residents of Colerain Township,” Kearney said. She added that there are 18 acres of green space around the County’s gun range so residential communities will not be able to build near the site. The new plans also provide sound barriers, new collaborative training facilities, classrooms and offices. Several community members commented that they are especially excited about the de-escalation training.
It was Colerain Township Trustee Matt Wahlert who came up with the ‘Regional Safety Complex’ name because this complex will be used by the City, County, State, and federal agencies. “A great deal of credit goes to Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long and Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluoto for pulling together the deal, the plans, and the funding,” said Kearney. She also gives a great deal of credit to former Mayor John Cranley and current Mayor Aftab Pureval. “This accomplishment would not have happened with their full support.”
The cost is about $31.2 million dollars. Because of the strong advocacy of Hamilton County Commissioner President Alicia Reece, Hamilton County paid the largest share, while the City, State, and federal governments contributed as well. Reece said that this is an issue of environmental justice and she wanted to make sure that justice was served.