TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo officials provided a mid-year crime statistics update during a press conference Tuesday, in which they noted that, in the first half of 2024, multiple types of crime saw a decrease over 2023 — except for persons shot and homicides.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said the homicide numbers showed an increase because they were higher on June 30, 2024, than the same day the year prior when the quarter ended. However, as of July 30, 2024, there were the same number of homicides in 2024 as in 2023. In total, Toledo police have counted exactly 20 homicides as of Tuesday.
"There's some context for some of the higher profile (categories)," Kapszukiewicz said.
Additionally, the persons shot categories, which saw an increase in 2024 over 2023 in the first half, now includes self-inflicted gunshot wounds. In 2023, self-inflicted gunshots were not included in person shot statistics. Kapszukiewicz claimed persons shot statistics would have shown a decrease had that number not been included.
Police said they believed most of the self-inflicted shootings were accidental.
Kapszukiewicz also said 2024 would be a statistically interesting year, as 2023 demonstrated the first sizeable decrease in violent crime after the backlogs of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Toledo police's mid-year crime statistics as provided in the press conference are included below:
Toledo Police Chief Michael Troendle said 2024's increase in homicides in the first half of the year was caused by a number of double homicides and two incidents in which Toledo police officers shot and killed a suspect.
Troendle also said the department has focused efforts on curfew enforcement among youth. He claimed this stemmed from a problem with juvenile crime, and said he believes curfew enforcement has decreased the amount of youth violence in the city.
You can watch the full press conference below: