DRIVING. SHEREE: CONCERNS ABOUT KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE ARE BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TONIGHT IN ELMWOOD PLACE. MIKE: THEY’RE ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DWINDLING NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS PATROLLING THE VILLAGE’S STREETS. WLWT NEWS 5’S TODD DYKES IS LIVE WITH MORE. TODD. TODD: FROM BEING WORRIED TO DEMANDING ANSWERS, PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS SMALL VILLAGE ARE FEELING FRUSTRATED. THEY’RE NOT SURE WHY THEIR HOMETOWN IS HAVING SO MUCH TROUBLE HANDLING BASIC SERVICES LIKE THE WORK POLICE OFFICERS DO. DESPITE THE DREARY WEATHER, NEIGHBORS GATHERED ON PAMELA CHANDLER’S FRONT PORCH THIS AFTERNOON TO TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN ELMWOOD PLACE. >> THIS IS NOT THE SAME PLACE IT WAS BACK WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, WHICH WAS A LONG TIME AGO, AND I DON’T EVER EXPECT IT TO BE LIKE THAT. BUT IT COULD BE A HECK OF A LOT BETTER THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW. >> CHANDLER’S PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE VILLAGE’S UNDER-STAFFED POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT’S AN ISSUE THAT’S TAKEN ON ADDED URGENCY IN THE WAKE OF A DEADLY SHOOTING FRIDAY. HAMILTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES HAD TO RESPOND BECAUSE ELMWOOD PLACE’S POLICE RESOURCES ARE SO LIMITED. >> IT’S BASICALLY ABOUT OUR SAFETY AND OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE DO DESERVE BETTER. WE ALL REALLY DO DESERVE BETTER. >> INTERIM POLICE CHIEF KEVIN KELSEY STOPPED BY TO SAY HE CONSIDERS FRIDAY’S SHOOTING INCIDENT ON VINE STREET AND OTHER RECENT GUN CRIMES A WAKE-UP CALL. >> I’M HOPING IT’S AN EYE-OPENER TO OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS. THAT WE DO NEED TO INCREASE AND EXPAND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OK. THESE PEOPLE DESERVE BETTER THAN WHAT THEY’VE BEEN PROVIDED, ALTHOUGH ME AND MY GUYS ARE GIVING THEM THE BEST WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WITH RESOURCES AVAILABLE. TODD: QUESTIONS RESIDENTS LIKE PAMELA CHANDLER HAVE ABOUT POLICE STAFFING AND, PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, FUNDING, CAME TO A HEAD DURING A HEATING COUNCIL MEETING LAST NIGHT. >> EVERYONE UP HERE LIVES IN THIS VILLAGE, JUST LIKE EVERYONE OUT THERE. WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUES. AND YES, WE ARE TRYING TO SOLVE THEM WITH VERY LIMITED RESOURCES. >> IT DOESN’T SEEM THAT YOU ARE AS CONCERNED AS WE ARE HERE. ANSWERS. WE NEVER GET ANY FINAL ANSWERS OR ANY SET PLANS AS TO WHAT THIS VILLAGE IS DOING TO BECOME BETTER. TODD: I SPOKE TO A WOMAN WHO WORKS FOR THE VILLAGE OF ELMWOOD PLACE ASKING IF SOMEONE COULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS RESIDENTS HAVE. THAT WORKER DECLINED TO DO AN INTERVIEW BUT DID SAY THE OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE VILLAGES POLICE DEPARTMENT. SHE ADDED REVENUE FROM A SAFETY SERVICES LEVY COULD PROVIDE SOME RELIEF WHEN THE VILLAGE STARTS SEEING THOSE DOLLARS NEXT SPRING. REPORTING LIED IN ELMWOOD PLACE, TODD DYKES, WLWT NEWS 5. MIKE: A LOT OF CRITICISM, WHEN THAT -- SAID THEY WERE OFF THE CLOCK. TODD IS THERE ANY TALK OF DOING AWAY WITH THE VILLAGE’S POLICE DEPARTMENT AND RELYING INSTEAD ON SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES TO PATROL THE STREETS? TODD: I ASKED THE POLICE CHIEF ABOUT THAT POSSIBILITY. HE TOLD ME HE DOESN’T THINK ELMWOOD PLACE’S BUDGET COULD ABSORB THE COST OF MAKING SUCH A MOVE. HE ALSO DISCUSSED THE BENEFITS OF HAVING LOCAL OFFICERS THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS KNOW, BUT ADVANTAGE THAT BRINGS. MIKE: