TOLEDO, Ohio — Editor's note: This story has been edited to include new information made available in a statement by Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz.
Brian Byrd's brief tenure as Toledo public safety director will come to a close at the end of the summer.
Byrd announced Tuesday on his LinkedIn page he plans to retire Sept. 1. He took over as safety director in February 2022 after 34 years with the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department.
"September 1st, 2023 will be my last day as the Director of Public Safety for the City of Toledo," Byrd wrote. "It will be a bittersweet departure. I am thankful for my 35 years of service to the community. However, I look forward to new adventures that come with retirement. SERVICE IS A PRIVILEGE!!"
Byrd retired as fire chief in December 2021 before being named to his current position. His announcement comes one week after the city announced a re-structuring of its safety department, including removing community-related violence issues from Byrd's responsibilities.
In a statement reflecting on Byrd's tenure as public safety director, Toledo mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz attributed a recent reduction in crime trends to Byrd.
"...Brian deserves credit for the drastic reduction we have seen in violent crime this year," Kapszukiewicz said. "With the exception of automobile thefts, all categories of crime are lower in 2023 than they were in 2022. This is most notably the case with homicides which are roughly half today than the number they were this time last year."
According to data released by Toledo police in a biannual community safety report, homicides are down 14.3% from 2022 and auto thefts have increased by 2.5%.
In the same report, Toledo police also reported a 14.3% increase in shooting incidents from 2022.
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