 Councilman Cecil Thomas retired from the Cincinnati Police Department after 27 years of distinguished service. He was selected to fill the position of Executive Director of the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission where he spent over five years working to improve the relationship between citizens and police. He then ran for City Council and was elected on his first attempt.
Best known for his hands on approach during the civil unrest, he has a unique ability to listen and relate to all sides, and to build bridges. Thomas has earned the respect of a broad section of the community, especially law enforcement, and is the only City Councilman that has been able to unite federal, state, county and local criminal justice authorities with the citizenry in the fight against crime and violence. In an effort to deal with issues of escalating crime he invited Professor David Kennedy of the John Jay College School of Criminology in New York to Cincinnati, which resulted in the development and implementation of the crime fighting strategy now known as the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV). To build on that momentum he extended an invitation to Francis Strickland, wife of Governor Ted Strickland, to quietly visit Cincinnati. During her visit, Thomas introduced her to some key community leaders in the city, including a number of representatives from the West side. The first lady was treated to lunch and great conversation with Sam Beltose, owner of Price Hill Chili.
Councilman Thomas is committed to safe, clean and vibrant neighborhoods, and to empowering residents to define what is acceptable and unacceptable in their communities. He firmly believes that it is a critical mistake to make decisions concerning our neighborhoods without full input from those most affected by those decisions. Cecil Thomas is looking forward to serving another two years as your representative on City Council. Thomas stated that, "We may not always agree, but as long as it agrees with God, then its well."
Visit Cecil Thomas's Web site at www.cecilthomas.com |
