Lincoln Heights, Ohio—a historically Black community just outside Cincinnati—has formed an armed neighborhood patrol after white supremacist extremism rattled residents earlier this year. In February, a neo-Nazi group carrying rifles, waving swastikas, and shouting racial slurs stormed the streets, just moments before children were let out of school.
Weeks later, the Ku Klux Klan distributed racist flyers throughout the area, further fueling tensions.
While local law enforcement initially stated that the extremists had not broken any laws, the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation to determine whether criminal charges can be pursued. However, for many in Lincoln Heights, the damage has already been done—and they are no longer waiting on authorities to ensure their safety.
In response, local leaders established the Lincoln Heights Safety and Watch program, an initiative aimed at protecting the community from potential future attacks. The armed patrol consists of volunteers, many of whom are mentors and community leaders who were already involved in youth programs through the Heights Movement, a community empowerment organization.
The volunteers legally open-carry firearms while wearing tactical gear and face coverings, taking advantage of Ohio’s open-carry laws that permit gun owners to carry weapons without a permit.
“I’ve never felt safer as a Black man in my community than I have right now,” said Daronce Daniels, the spokesperson for the safety and watch program, to NBC News. “These are my friends. These are my cousins, my brothers, my sisters, my aunties.”
One of the driving forces behind the safety patrol is the community’s growing distrust in law enforcement’s ability—or willingness—to protect them.
During the February rally, police from the neighboring town of Evendale, along with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the incident. However, no arrests were made, and officers did not take down any identifying information from the extremist group members.
The decision to form an armed community patrol is deeply rooted in Lincoln Heights’ history. Established in 1923 as a haven for Black families escaping racial violence in the South, the village became the first self-governing Black community north of the Mason-Dixon Line in 1946.
However, decades of underinvestment and neglect have left Lincoln Heights struggling. The town’s police department was disbanded in 2014, leaving law enforcement responsibilities to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, which residents say has not always acted in their best interests.
The Lincoln Heights Safety and Watch initiative has already made one thing clear: Hate groups will not be allowed to intimidate this community.
