DAYTON — Dayton’s police chief told News Center 7 that they are already all over plans to make downtown Dayton safer, even before this week’s calls for a new downtown Dayton safety plan.
Police Chief Kamran Afzal said he welcomes any new focus or suggestions, but they are not waiting around.
News Center 7’s Mike Campbell sat down with Chief Afzal, where he reviewed the department’s crime numbers for 2025 and discussed the department’s goals for 2026.
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One of the things he emphasized is that they are putting plans in place to improve safety across the entire city, and that includes things happening downtown.
“We’re going to go full-time, 24/7 operation downtown,” Afzal said.
He said that as part of the 24/7 operation, they will be using walking patrols.
“We have been reacting to it and being proactive about it. We need to go back to some of the old ways of doing some things,” Afzal said.
He continued to say that more housing and people downtown are driving the changes he’s making. He watched U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, along with city and county leaders, unveil their plans for a new downtown safety plan.
Their plans include more police presence downtown. More social services, particularly for the downtown homeless population, and increased enforcement from the courts after police address issues.
Dale Stringer runs the First Street Design Group, which is a hair salon. He said, “Which is a lot of that. A lot of people walking around, wandering around. I had someone come in randomly today.”
Stringer has been here 40 years and feels sad, but admits being victimized last August, one of a half-dozen businesses damaged by a man who went on a vandalism spree.
“Thank God for cameras. That’s how they got the guy across the street,” Stringer said.
Afzal told News Center 7 that improved technology, such as additional cameras and the real-time crime center, is helping solve crimes like vandalism and extreme violence, including when an 18-year-old Dayton Public School student was shot near the RTA hub last April.
“We never stop thinking about how we improve our service. We do not rest on our laurels. We don’t get satisfied,” Afzal said.
He went on to say that the department received good news when they closed out the books in 2025. The numbers show an overall reduction in crime of about 17% from last year and 15% down on a five-year average.
However, Afzal said they’re still not where they want to be, which is why they’re not taking any victory laps.
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