TOLEDO, Ohio — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above contains Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz's recent remarks on crime in the city.
On Wednesday, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz spoke about recent crime issues in the city, saying that current crime levels are below overall violent crime experienced in the mid-1990s.
"You go back to the 1990s - violent crime is down (currently). Violent crime is 2.5 times lower than it was in the mid-90s. Crime is down; violent crime is down," Kapszukiewicz said.
The mayor, who is being challenged on the fall ballot by former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner and Jan Scotland, also said the vast majority of violent crimes in the city are gang-related.
Is he right?
We wanted to verify these claims. We obtained data from Toledo police, looking at crime statistics over the past three decades.
If looking at overall violent crimes, then yes. Most violent crimes are down since the 90s as well as over the past few years, with a few exceptions.
Homicides have jumped dramatically over the last three years.
Weapons offenses also are much higher. This category covers things like improperly handling a firearm, and concealed carry permit violations are much higher.
So far this year, most of the data seems to be on par with what we saw last year.
- On Monday, police said since Jan. 1 of this year, the city of Toledo has experienced 1,209 shooting incidents.
- In those incidents, 174 people were shot.
- Comparing 2020 to 2019, Toledo saw 57 homicides up from 35, according to the 2020 Toledo Police annual report.
- There were also 223 rapes (up from 202) and 2,221 aggravated assaults (up from 1,728), according to the annual report from police.
WTOL 11 has kept track of homicides in the city (people who were killed within city limits each year) independently. Sometimes the numbers are slightly different, as TPD counts a homicide in the year when a homicide ruling is made, not when the person died.
Homicides 2011-2020
- 2020 - 62
- 2019 - 38
- 2018 - 36
- 2017 - 36
- 2016 - 37
- 2015 - 24
- 2014 - 24
- 2013 - 28
- 2012 - 39
- 2011 - 30