TOLEDO, Ohio — As Toledo sits at 62 homicides, making it the second deadliest year on record alongside 2020, city council is considering a resolution to declare gun violence a public health crisis. 51 of those homicides were shooting deaths.
The resolution, introduced Tuesday by council member Theresa Gadus, comes on the heels of three homicides last week and a public safety committee meeting where community members and city leaders discussed solutions to violent crime.
"It's clear to us that we have a lot more work to do," Gadus said. "This is a commitment to the residents that we represent that we're stepping up our game."
She said this is just the start, and that more is in the works.
Lucas County Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski said it's important to bring a spotlight to gun violence and that violence intertwines with the overall health of the community.
"The problem didn't stem from something that happened yesterday, the problem has stemmed from historical concerns," Zgodzinski said. "We need to be able to address those historical concerns and it's not going to be solved tomorrow. We have to begin acting on health in the community in general, whether it's mental health or physical health."
Both Gadus and Zgodzinski understand why Toledoans are frustrated and unnerved by the homicide numbers, but say there isn't one simple solution to stop it.
"We can't just look at it as the police need the fix this," Gadus said. "There are more layers; mental health, domestic violence, all these layers of trauma that we need to start peeling back and supporting the residents of our city."
Gun violence has been declared a public health crisis in Toledo as recently as 2020, which also had 62 homicides. 2021 has been Toledo's deadliest year on record with 70 homicides.
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department already has programs in place to help reduce gun violence from 2020, Zgodzinski said.
"We started a childhood wellness program, which really is looking at childhood wellness from preconception to 18 (years old) which includes gun violence and behavioral concerns," he said.
Gadus said she is committed to making sure people are safer in their homes.
If approved, the resolution could position the city to receive more grants and state and federal funding.