As more and more businesses are told to close, Cincinnati police have now added to their duties, the job of making sure that people are following the Governors order banning large gatherings. The commander of the Cincinnati Police patrol bureau says they tried to start out with a soft touch. When the ban on large gatherings went into effect, CPD officers went around to locations that were still open advising them they had to close.
When they went back the next day, they found one bar and restaurant still open and at that point Assistant Chief Paul Neudigate says they knew they had to make an example of the Queen City Lounge. The business was closed and boarded up. Neudigate says that not only will people ignoring the order face arrest but the city will also look at pulling their liquor licenses.
Neudigate says his officers do not have the "resources to continually check locations day by day." He tells our Scott Sloan that what really makes him mad is the people choosing to ignore the ban have put the lives of his officers at risk by making them go into the building potentially exposing them to Coronavirus.