TOLEDO, Ohio — First responders walk into dangerous situations as part of their job. And when it comes to protecting everyone involved, communication is crucial.
The city of Toledo wants first responders, and even people on the street, to use "tactical communication" to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations.
Knowing when tactical communication works, and when it doesn't, makes all the difference, Toledo's Deputy Safety Director, Angel Tucker, said.
"Just like you won't use a hammer for everything or a drill for everything, you won't use this for everything," Tucker said.
He said a core idea behind tactical communication is to understand people of different backgrounds to keep situations from turning violent.
In July 2018, Toledo police were accused of shooting an unarmed Black teenager. Video released by the department showed 25-year-old Lamar Richardson attempting to pull a gun from his waistband before being shot and killed by pursuing officers. Tucker said the response by TPD is a skill used to create trust.
"It's one thing to hear about or to see on TV, but to have someone you know and you trust present you with something, and assist you with it, to create a wrap-around resource, that's a huge difference," Tucker, a former police officer with the City of Oregon, said.
Part of Toledo's safety plan includes violence interrupters, which was recently shortened to interrupters. They work in neighborhoods to connect with people and prevent violent crime.
In 2022, Toledo has had 49 homicides so far, including a rise in west Toledo, which currently has no interrupters placed there.
"We're getting an outcry from the community that they want interrupters in west Toledo," Tucker said.
Tucker said the city is not ignoring east Toledo residents, but there are steps to take before interrupters can be placed there.
"Before we can get a budget for it, we have to see what the metrics look like on it," Tucker said. "We're still expanding into east Toledo. We hear the community. We're not ignoring them. We just want to make sure that we do this accurately and well so we can have a sustainable program."
Interrupters are also placed in the Lagrange and Junction/Englewood neighborhoods.