OTTAWA HILLS, Ohio — There have been six homicides reported in the city of Toledo in 2023 and the Coalition for Peaceful Toledo Neighborhoods gathered Thursday to remember those victims and more.
The coalition has actively held meetings around the city for months, drafted a 12-step action plan to target gun violence and received support from other city leaders and police.
The tone of Thursday's service was different from their normal meetings as they came together not to form more action plans, but to pay respects to those lost.
City Council Member John Hobbs III took the stand and prayed for lives lost when he spoke and said organized efforts to reduce gun violence and honor those lost to it bring him hope. But, he said work needs to be done beyond prayer.
"The Bible says prayer, faith without action is dead," Hobbs said. "So as much as we want to pray, we also have to have an action to follow the prayer."
Hobbs has been hosting community meetings across Toledo since early March to gather concerns and answer questions from residents. He said that the former Toledo mayors behind the coalition and others coming together are a sign of forward progress.
"If they can all come together, why can't we?" Hobbs said.
Carty Finkbeiner, one of the former mayors in the coalition, said he doesn't just want to reduce gun violence in northwest Ohio, but he wants to spread the message across the country.
"If we set an example here maybe that example can spread to the rest of our country of ours," Finkbeiner said.
Newly named Toledo police Chief Michael Troendle was one of the speakers recognized Thursday and said the department and him are ready to do whatever is right for the community.
"I said from the beginning as the chief, I'll sit down with any group that can help me get a handle on this violence, and help our officers out there," Troendle said. "And we look for all the support we can get."
Troendle said getting officers out in the neighborhoods is a big focus to reduce violence and he wants to have a larger presence of officers out in the communities at all times, whether on bikes or foot.
Troendle will be sworn in on Monday and is welcoming the new class of recruits for the police academy on Friday. The coalition said it will continue to work with the city of Toledo and other surrounding cities.