TOLEDO, Ohio — Homicides are high-profile crimes reported throughout the year in Toledo. But what about the number of auto thefts? Burglaries? Robberies? WTOL 11 wanted to see how 2022 faired compared to previous years and if crime rates are trending up or down from year to year in the Glass City.
According to Toledo police data, about 200 fewer shootings were reported in 2022 compared to 2021, with just under 2,500 reports in 2021 and over 2,300 reports in 2022.
Those reports do not accurately reflect the actual number of people shot though.
Rather, the numbers reflect total shootings, including "911 calls reporting shootings and ShotSpotter. That's not the number of people shot, that's just shootings in general," Lt. Paul Davis, a public information officer for the Toledo Police Department, said.
When it comes to gun violence prevention, TPD targeted crime in Toledo neighborhoods with operations like BLASER, FASER and LASER.
"We seized 1,732 firearms last year and 202 of those were in the team initiatives alone," Davis said.
Robbery numbers between 2021 and 2022 were similar, but both years had fewer robberies and burglaries than 2020 did.
"Even though those two years of 2021 and 2022 were on par with each other (for robberies and burglaries), it's still significantly less than two years ago so we just need to build on that momentum," Davis said.
TPD crime data broken down by year and type of crime is listed below:
In 2020:
Homicides: 61
Shooting reports: 2,157
Robberies: 575
Burglaries: 1,925
Auto Theft: 1,108
Theft from Motor Vehicle: 1,871
In 2021:
Homicides: 70
Shooting reports: 2,523
Robberies: 474
Burglaries: 1,572
Auto Theft: 1,271
Theft from Motor Vehicle: 2,300
In 2022:
Homicides: 64
Shooting reports: 2,333
Robberies: 491
Burglaries: 1,581
Auto Theft: 1,236
There are two discrepancies between the homicide data reported by WTOL 11 and TPD in 2020 and 2022. WTOL 11 counts the homicide in the year the person died, not the year the crime happened.
In 2020, WTOL 11 reported 62 homicides, whereas TPD reported 61. WTOL 11 reported the death of Alfred Saunders in 2020. However, Saunders is not listed in TPD's crime data for 2020,
In 2022, WTOL 11 reported 65 homicides, whereas TPD reported 64. The reason WTOL 11 is reporting one more is due to a woman dying in June of 2022 due to complications of being shot in 1997.
There has been one homicide in Toledo so far in 2023. Dontae Hull, 24, was shot in north Toledo Friday afternoon and later died in the hospital.