TOLEDO, Ohio — Nearly all categories of crime logged by Toledo police saw a reduction by the end of the third quarter of 2023 in comparison to the same period of time in 2022, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said in a press conference with police and city officials Tuesday.
During the event, Kapszukiewicz pointed to six categories of crime measured between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 in both years. According to city statistics, crime was reduced by at least 15% in all categories except auto theft, with the largest reduction in homicides. Kapszukiewicz offered changes in perceptions of policing as explanation in part for the increase in crime seen in the first three years of the decade.
"During the pandemic, people... their relationship toward police officers changed in ways I might suggest was unhealthy and unproductive," he said. "The court system changed in ways that was unhealthy and unproductive."
Kapszukiewicz said he believes now the city has returned to a typical 30-year average regarding crime.
"I just think factor after factor after factor produced the heartbreaking and unacceptable numbers that we saw in the city and in this country over the last two or three years. Our story is different now," he said, referring to new numbers indicating reduced trends in crime.
Although Kapszukiewicz credited what he described as large-scale socio-economic changes for lower crime numbers, he also credited efforts by the city. He referred to the city's five-point plan, which includes beautifying neighborhoods, investing in youth, attracting business, providing housing stability and fostering community engagement.
"We have invested record amounts in youth programming. Over two years, almost $5 million. Both years, over one hundred free programs for kids," Kapszukiewicz said.
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The city has also increased the size of the police department, he said. He also credited the city's violence interrupters and discussed efforts to solve blight.
"It's every little thing we've done, adding up," he said.
A poster board displayed at the press conference included the following statistics:
Auto theft
- 2022: 919 incidents
- 2023: 1010 incidents
- Percentage change: +9.9%
Burglary
- 2022: 1209 incidents
- 2023: 1025 incidents
- Percent change: -15.2%
Homicide
- 2022: 46 incidents
- 2023: 32 incidents
- Percent change: -30.4%
Robbery
- 2022: 389 incidents
- 2023: 299 incidents
- Percent change: -23.1%
Theft from motor vehicle
- 2022: 1,580 incidents
- 2023: 1,136 incidents
- Percent change: -28.1%
Person shot
- 2022: 195 incidents
- 2023: 137 incidents
- Percent change: -29.7%
Earlier this year, a report at the end of the first quarter that measured crime between Jan. 1 and April 30, 2023, over 2022, saw a similar trend, with all crime incidents seeing some reduction besides shooting incidents and auto thefts.
This comes as the city continues to see a significant reduction in homicides over the first three years of the decade. By Sept. 30, Toledo saw high numbers of homicides in 2020, 2021 and 2022, according to WTOL 11 records.
- 2020: 45 homicides
- 2021: 52 homicides
- 2022: 46 homicides
Also earlier this year, Kapszukiewicz spoke at a national town hall meeting regarding crime and mental health in Toledo.
While total homicides have seen a reduction, the number of juveniles victims of homicides have increased, slightly with the same parameters of Jan. 1 to Sept. 30:
- 2023: 10 juveniles
- 2022: 7 juveniles
- 2021: 8 juveniles
- 2020: 7 juveniles
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