Photo By Matt Borgerding

Scott Crawford presents Officer Dana Jones with a token of appreciation at the June 5 gathering of the Clifton Town Meeting.

It's good to have a few regular people to take your issues to: friends after 5 p.m., colleagues before 5 p.m., psychologists, pastors, neighbors, the police.

The police?

As the neighborhood officer in Clifton and Camp Washington for a little less than a decade, Cincinnati Police Officer Dana Jones knew what it meant to be available to residents not only as their law enforcement representative but also as part of the neighborhood. To many, her recent transfer from District 5 to the Personal Crimes Unit downtown was unwelcome news.

"When she told me a couple of weeks ago, it was like a hit in the stomach," says Sue Madden, manager of Clifton Colony Apartments. "She's just one of those exceptional people because she's so good with the basics. She knows how to deal with people."

Jones, who's been promoted to detective, says she was surprised when the community councils in both neighborhoods thanked her for her work.

"I didn't expect it," she says. "I just came to say my goodbyes."

Jones, 41, says law enforcement has been an interest since childhood. After trying her hand at business and carrying mail, she decided at age 30 that it was time to join the police force.

Jones started as a patrol officer in District 5 and became its neighborhood officer three years later.

As a neighborhood officer, she wasn't responsible for the radio runs handled by patrol officers. The position was a kind of liaison between the community and the police department, with officers dealing with "quality of life" issues. Neighborhood policing allowed Jones to get to know the citizens she served, she says.

"Everyone had particular concerns," Jones says. "For some, it was parking; for other people, it was graffiti. No matter what the person's concern was, I tried to address it."

Jones says Det. Paul Meyer of District 5 was an important mentor, always stressing the importance of listening to people with the intention of really hearing what they have to say. The respect between Jones and the public made her enjoy working in District 5, she says.

"Clifton and Camp Washington are good police supporters," she says. "I've learned so much from the dedication from the people I've worked with and how much citizens care about their communities and neighbors."

Jones attended monthly neighborhood meetings to report crime statistics and provide information on recent arrests. Her presence in the community stuck out, according to Michael Ramundo of Clifton.

"And I suppose that's the whole thing about community policing," he says. "Clifton is right smack in the city, way overloaded with traffic. Yet we still like our small town feel."

Ramundo described a time when Jones helped block traffic so children could participate in the annual Clifton lantern walk.

"It's the tiny things Dana did, like blocking our very busy Clifton Avenue, that help us keep this place a community," Ramundo says. "We'll all miss her."

Though she'll miss the relationships she's built in District 5, Jones says she's looking forward to her new assignment, investigating cases of sexual assault and crimes against children. ©