Monroe wants apology from ‘The Great American’ on gang remark

Comments made by a Cincinnati radio personality that Monroe has a gang problem have raised the ire of one city council member.

Monroe Councilman Todd Hickman called out the comments made by conservative 700 WLW radio talk show host Bill Cunningham during a national television program.

Cunningham appeared Sunday on “This Week” with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos about President Trump’s strong grip on his base.

During an exchange about immigration, Cunningham told Stephanopoulos, “Monroe, Ohio, has an MS-13 problem. Pike County, east of Cincinnati, has an MS-13 marijuana grow operation. If you cut down on illegal immigration, you cut down on criminal aliens and you cut down on heroin. Three thousand Ohioans are going to die this year from heroin overdoses. All of that’s not coming from Tennessee. It’s coming from Guadalajara.”

That comment prompted Hickman to directly ask Police Chief Bob Buchanan if Monroe had an MS-13 gang problem during Tuesday’s council meeting.

“I want to hear this from you. Do we have an MS-13 gang problem?” he asked.

“No, sir, we don’t,” Buchanan said. “… Within the city, there is no indication of a gang problem.”

Buchanan said Cunningham was referencing an arrest April 14 in Monroe by the Butler County Undercover Regional Narcotics Task Force in which agents received information that a person with alleged ties to the MS-13 gang was trafficking drugs in Butler County.

MORE: Alleged gang member arrested at Monroe hotel

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office said the MS-13 gang, which originated in Los Angeles, heavily recruits members from across the nation, but did not know how many members were in Butler County.

Hickman said comments like that hurt the city in trying to attract families to move to Monroe.

“Cunningham needs to apologize to the city,” Hickman said. “I would expect that.”

This news outlet has reached out to Cunningham for comment.

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