Police are asking residents for help improving safety where the bodies of two teens have been found in less than a year.

Fairfield Police is working with the property managers of Creekside Village of Fairfield apartments to remove underbrush along the creek bank near the complex. The effort will make it more difficult to hide on the property, according to Fairfield Police Officer Doug Day.

“We’re going to take all the underbrush, all the honeysuckle, all those low shrubs, and remove them completely from the bank on (the apartments’) side. There may be some mature trees that have got to come down,” Day said. The apartment complex is at 5001 Pleasant Ave.

“We’re going to open it up so that from that property, especially once they get the place populated, you’ll be able to look right down into that creek, and it won’t be an easy place just to hang out or hide,” Day said.

The creek bed was the scene of two homicides this year. Chelsea Johnson, 15, was found stabbed to death in April near the creek. In August, Joseph Oakley, 19, was found near the same spot. He had several gunshot wounds.

Both investigations remain open. No one has been charged with Johnson’s death, but George Donald Davis, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty to charges of importuning, drug trafficking and attempting to compel prostitution charges for offering Johnson drugs in exchange for sex. He was sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

“It’s been a constant complaint of ours that it’s hard to deal with because you can’t see down there. It’s kind of hard to prevent something or address an issue when you can’t see,” Day said.

Police are looking for volunteers, as well as donations of food, beverage and equipment. Contact Day at the Fairfield Police Department at (513) 896-8268 or by email at dday@fairfield-city.org. Day hopes that work will begin in November. City departments will assist as well, he said.