A Toledo Police vehicle is parked in front of the Safety Building. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Homicides, vehicle thefts down; burglaries up
TOLEDO – New data reveals a significant decrease in Toledo crime rates across multiple categories. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and Toledo Police Chief Michael Troendle announced the 2024 third-quarter findings during a press conference at the Safety Building in October.
Key statistics and major reduction in Toledo
The data indicates Toledo is making substantial strides in reducing crime in critical areas, such as homicides and theft from motor vehicles. “This progress reflects the tireless efforts of our officers and the unwavering support from our community and administration,” said Troendle.
Toledo Police Chief Michael Troendle. (Courtesy Photo)
“When I took over, we focused on getting officers back on the streets to be proactive after the challenging times following COVID and the George Floyd incident. We emphasized that our community needs and supports them, and that mindset has paid off,” he added.
According to the report, homicides have dropped by 16 percent, with 27 incidents reported this year compared to 32 in 2023. Similarly, robberies saw a 5 percent decrease, with 292 cases reported in 2024, down from 307 in 2023.
One of the most significant drops was in theft from motor vehicles, which saw a 26 percent reduction – 857 incidents this year compared to 1,164 last year.
“Our gun intelligence center targeted some of our most prolific shooters with federal assistance. Removing those individuals from the streets has significantly curbed incidents of theft and gun violence,” said Troendle.
Additionally, the number of persons shot slightly decreased by 1 percent, totaling 154 incidents in 2024, down from 158 in 2023.
Challenges and areas of concern
While most crime categories showed improvement in Toledo, burglaries saw a slight increase of 0.2 percent, with incidents rising to 1,027 cases. Conversely, auto thefts decreased by 12 percent, with 901 incidents reported this year, compared to 1,023 last year.
Albeit the increase, Troendle said there has been a year-to-year reduction over the last 12 years in Toledo, and this is the first minor blip.
“I truly believe nothing will harm the city more than having a high burglary rate because if you are unable to enter your own home and feel that you are safe and protected, then you’re going to leave the city,” he said.
Continued efforts and community participation
During the press conference, Kapszukiewicz and Troendle emphasized that while these statistics are encouraging, this is an ongoing effort, adding that the city needs to lean on its residents, community leaders and law enforcement to sustain and build upon this positive trend.
“The progress we’ve seen in crime reduction reflects the hard work of our community, law enforcement and MONSE (Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement). We will build on this momentum to ensure Toledo remains a safe place for all of our residents,” says Kapszukiewicz.
Kapszukiewicz ended the conference with a call to action for all city residents to remain engaged and supportive of local initiatives designed to further reduce crime.
“While we celebrate these achievements, we still recognize the challenges ahead in keeping our neighborhoods safe. Together, we will continue to work towards a more hopeful and safer future for all Toledoans.”
Dr. Brian Kaminski, vice president of medical affairs for ProMedica's Metro Hospitals and emergency department physician, explained that before the pandemic ProMedica wanted to tackle the opioid epidemic. (TFP Photo/Steven Bieber)
S&G partners with ProMedica to help prevent drug overdoses
TOLEDO – From June 2023 to June 2024, the state of Ohio saw about a 24 percent decrease in drug overdose deaths, according to the CDC. One local business is looking to play a role in lowering the number of drug overdose deaths even more.
S&G is a convenience store in Toledo with 65 stores in Ohio and Michigan. To help combat drug overdose deaths, the company has partnered with ProMedica to install Narcan boxes in a dozen of its stores over the past six weeks.
Neal Frandsen (TFP Photo/Steven Bieber)
Neal Frandsen, vice president of marketing, discussed with the Toledo Free Press why having Narcan boxes in the stores is important.
“Convenience stores attract all kinds of different people, from rich to poor, Black to white to Hispanic … you name it,” he reasoned. “Overdosing on drugs doesn’t have any boundaries, either.”
“There’s no better time to offer our Narcan devices. Convenience stores, not only S&G, but convenience stores as a whole, find overdosed people in our bathrooms. We found probably five or six, not to the point of where they needed Narcan, but five or six people that were passed out on drugs in our bathrooms just this past year and a few times this year.”
S&G plans to install Narcan boxes in at least 55 of the 66 stores, according to Frandsen.
ProMedica initiated the process of sending Narcan boxes to S&G and other locations in the community. Dr. Brian Kaminski, vice president of medical affairs for ProMedica’s Metro Hospitals and emergency department physician, explained that before the pandemic, ProMedica wanted to tackle the opioid epidemic.
The plan is to tackle the epidemic in three phases, with a focus on the first phase:
Harm reduction, which involves providing Narcan to people who need it
Reducing the number of opioid prescriptions and finding alternate ways to treat pain
Rehabilitation for people who are dependent on opioids
The initiative is designed to distribute Narcan to any place where overdoses are popular. Kaminski noted that one of the most popular locations is libraries.
Libraries are actually a very popular place to overdose, and most people don’t realize that. But it’s warm, it’s free, you can get in at many hours of the day … so people who are either homeless or in some other way destitute often park at a library, and they become these centers for overdose because people are using there.
Dr. Brian Kaminski
ProMedica offers Narcan to every patient who comes in after an overdose when they are discharged. Kaminski expressed gratitude to S&G for their partnership.
“We were lucky enough to have a partnership with S&G that was willing to put themselves forward and say, ‘We’re willing to do this. We recognize it can happen anywhere, even in our retail outlets, our gas stations, our convenience stores.’ We wanted to partner with them since they’re willing partners; not everybody’s willing to partner on things like this,” Kaminski explained.
Naloxone is the generic name of Narcan. (Adobe Stock Image)
Since launching the effort to spread Narcan boxes around the community, Kaminski says there have been about 12 people saved from an overdose.
Narcan boxes are designed to be user-friendly. They contain pre-filled nasal atomizers. Each box has a pamphlet inside with pictures and instructions walking the user through the process. On the box, it shows you that it goes up the nostril and you squeeze the trigger-like mechanism, which atomizes or releases a mist of the medication. The box has two atomizers because some people need more than one dose.
The instructions say to call 911 because the victim could have more or different problems than an opioid overdose, the Narcan will also wear off eventually. If an overdose occurs in an S&G store, Narcan will likely be administered by an employee because training is provided at all stations with a box. ProMedica conducts regular inspections to make sure the boxes are in order.
Kaminski clarified that there is no harm in administering Narcan to someone who is believed to have overdosed but did not.
On Sept.24, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration approved the spray form of naloxone. Naloxone has been an effective lifesaver when given rapidly to addicts who have overdosed on heroin or prescription painkillers. (Adobe Stock Image)
The initiative by ProMedica is not finished. Kaminski says the organization wants to provide more access to Narcan.
“We’re open to the idea of talking to other businesses. The goal here is far and wide in high-risk areas. We want to make Narcan available so that in the event that an overdose occurs in any area – and obviously you want to install it in the high-risk areas – that it’s accessible,” he said.
“The thing about the Nalox box is that it’s highly visible, attention-grabbing and easy to access the medication in it. Again, it’s in these high-traffic areas where there should be people around able to use it and administer it to somebody who might need it,” Kaminski added.
For those interested in helping prevent overdoses, the Ohio Department of Health conducts Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided with Naloxone), a network of naloxone and fentanyl test strip distribution programs that provide opioid overdose education and harm reduction services.
There are over 221 Project DAWN programs registered in Ohio where anyone can obtain Narcan boxes and learn how to use them. You can also purchase Narcan at a pharmacy without a prescription.
Visitors to Mansfield can take a self-guided tour through the Shawshank Trail that includes spots where the movie was filmed. (Photo by Matthew Sackmann)
2024 marks 30th anniversary for story filmed in Ohio
When I watched “The Shawshank Redemption” for the first time at 14 years old, it immediately gripped me — the musical score, the bleak, imposing view of the prison where main character Andy Dufresne is sent after a false murder conviction — the one liners that are recognizable across generations. It is a special film to so many of us.
It wasn’t long after watching the film that I read the collection, Different Seasons by Stephen King, that includes Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. It is that novella that the iconic film is based on, a text that screenwriter/director Frank Darabont mined for all its rich characters and message of hope; giving it dimension, giving it heart, and giving it new life.
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption falls under the season Hope Springs Eternal in that book, and Andy’s prison break is certainly a story about the kind of hope that only the most resilient of us can maintain in those circumstances. As it turned out, the story of how the movie was made is also one of hope. It was a box office failure that only became a sensation when it came out on VHS.
The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is no longer operational. Much of the movie was filmed here, though some interior scenes were filmed on a set. (Photo by Matthew Sackmann)
A prison block at the historic Ohio State Reformatory. (Photo by Matthew Sackmann)
This year marked the 30th anniversary of the film that — though set in Maine — was filmed in Mansfield, Ohio, less than two hours away from Toledo. Though that celebration was in August, there are many opportunities for Shawshankers to fan out in Mansfield, from exploring the Shawshank Trail to taking a tour of the Ohio State Reformatory, where much of the movie was filmed.
Luckily, this fan had an opportunity to get a firsthand glimpse of true Shawshank fandom at the anniversary event, the peak of which was a one-on-one chat with the great Frank Darabont.
Celebrating 30 years
Fans from all over the country, even some from outside the U.S., swarmed the small, north-central Ohio town of Mansfield for the anniversary. Along the Shawshank Trail (the list of film sites that you can find on a convenient map), there were meet-and-greets with some of the actors with small but impactful parts in the movie.
This included Scott Mann, who played the homewrecker character that inadvertently got Andy put in prison (by being murdered). We caught up with him at Malabar Farm, where he was signing autographs in the cabin where his scene was filmed.
Actor Scott Mann (Glenn Quentin in the film) signs an autographed photo for Erin Holden and her son, Townes Sackmann. (Photo by Matthew Sackmann)
“When I came here in 2013… [at first] I wasn’t going to come,” says Mann. “My wife convinced me to. But there was a group that came in on a tour and they all line up on a yellow line, and I told them how we shot the scene. They were like, ‘You’re the reason he went to prison.’ It instilled that, after almost 20 years, I had a newfound relationship with my role, being that I’m on screen for 15 seconds.”
Of all the cast members we got to meet, Mann was the most involved with fans. He travels to Mansfield every year to be a hype man for the annual Shawshank Hustle 7k run, an event that began over a decade ago. It begins and ends at the Ohio State Reformatory. As we explored the Shawshank-themed activities that weekend, Mann always said hello to me and my family by name. He is definitely the right people person to lead a high-energy event like the Hustle.
“The morning of the race, I judge a costume contest, or I organize it,” he says. “You know, it’s audience participation. I’ve been doing that for 10 years.”
Born and raised in Cleveland, Mann was working as a model when casting began for “The Shawshank Redemption.” It was his first and only film audition.
Bob Gunton, who plays Warden Norton in the film, discusses what the film has meant to him. (Photo by Erin Holden)
“I lived in Chicago for a while, Honolulu, Atlanta. When I was modeling, I spent some time in Tokyo, but never got into acting. I auditioned for one movie. One movie only. I got it. And I’ve always said I hit the lottery. I get to sit on stage with Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Mark Ralston … I mean, I get to sit on stage with these guys.”
Mann is referring to the panel of actors who take the stage at Mansfield’s historic Renaissance Theater to talk about their experience making the film as part of anniversary events like this one. It began with a recorded address from Stephen King himself, acknowledging the film’s anniversary and the incredible way his story came to life under Darabont’s direction and through the talent of its cast and crew.
Darabont on hope vs. despair
Just before the event in the theater, I got a chance to meet and chat with Darabont. In fact, I was the last journalist to get to speak with him before everyone was shuffled onstage — just under the wire! We were told we’d have only two minutes, but he graciously gave me five.
Erin Holden: I’ve been rereading Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, and then I learned that Stephen King initially told you he felt like the story wouldn’t make a great movie. But of course it did! When you were reading the novella, what was it that pulled you into a state of certainty that it needed to be on the screen?
Frank Darabont: It was the human story in it, and a lot of people who read the script said that “I would never imagine there would be a movie in this.” Rob Reiner said that [laughs]. And of course Rob and the others at Castle Rock supported the movie and funded the movie, and supported me in making the movie. To me, it just was obvious. I love character-driven storytelling, and that just seemed like one of the great yarns of all time. To me, it was something of a no-brainer, but I know there was some skepticism about that.
The Renaissance Theater displays a cutout image of a young Frank Darabont during the filming of The Shawshank Redemption. (Photo by Erin Holden)
EH: I was also wondering about Brooks’ storyline. In the novella, his death is only one paragraph and it’s very general, but what you do with it in the movie, to make it a letter to the guys about what happened … tell me about why you chose to dwell on that for the story arc.
FB: When you’re adapting material as a screenwriter, you’re always looking for a way to illustrate an idea that’s in there, and the idea that’s the core of that story is hope versus despair. Hope versus hopelessness. You have Andy representing the one and you have Red representing the other.
Well, you need a fulcrum point between the two. That was probably my biggest contribution to the story – actually putting Brooks into it. I said, “I need that character to show what that path leads to.” That way I could illustrate the theme of institutionalization.
Bob Gunton, who played Shawshank’s Warden Norton, described the changes he’s seen in Mansfield over the years since the film was produced in 1994 as a story of hope in itself.
Hope for Mansfield
Life-sized cutouts like this one of the character Warden Norton were found throughout the town leading up to the anniversary weekend of the film. (Photo by Matthew Sackmann)
“When we first came here, it looked like a town that was dying, frankly. When I came back for the 20th [anniversary], things had improved quite a bit. The place was spruced up, and I could tell that there was going to be more to this,” Gunton said, adding that it’s now a kind of pilgrimage for so many. “Now I’m awestruck. It really is like the Catholics going to Fatima.”
He agrees that, though Shawshank is a story of hope, his character’s relationship to Andy Dufresne gives viewers the release of seeing the villain receive his comeuppance. It’s partially a revenge story.
“When he wonders about the business books, opens it up, and there’s the Bible with the rock hammer … ‘salvation does lie within.’”
For Gunton, it was one of the most satisfying moments of the film.
A sign in downtown Mansfield celebrates the arrival of visitors from all over the world during the 30th anniversary of The Shawshank Redemption. (Photo/Matthew Sackmann)
The documentarian
Mark Dawidziak, author of Shawshank Redemption Revealed (2019), attended the event with his daughter Becky Dawidziak, the book’s photographer. The two of them manned their table, selling copies of the thorough history of the movie and its effects on the town and viewers all over the world.
Mark recalls how the movie first entered his radar when he was working at the Akron Beacon Journal.
“People always say, ‘How long did you work on the book?’ And my standing joke is 25 years because I was there when they were filming,” he says. “The first interview I did was with this fellow Morgan Freeman. I made several trips to Mansfield that summer covering the movie.”
Having interviewed King many times over the years about adaptations of the novelist’s films, Mark decided that this project would be a good fit for his next book.
“I had so much fun researching this book, because everybody connected with this film, from Stephen King down to the woman who trained the rats for the prison scenes, had great stories to tell.”
That is one of the top takeaways from my visit to Mansfield, that there is a wholesome love for this film that makes everyone involved easy to talk to. They are always ready to share their stories. From Scott Mann getting his one and only movie role in one of the highest rated films of all time, to Morgan Freeman being propelled to a household name, it was life changing for many. That includes the people of Mansfield, who are still so proud of this slice of film history.
At the Toledo Free Press, we are all about celebrating Toledo itself, but the hidden gems surrounding us make our city equally appealing to live in. If you are looking for a short adventure and you’re a film buff, take in a full weekend of film history in Mansfield.
The Ohio State Reformatory features many artifacts from the prison’s history, including those from scenes like this one – the big reveal for the warden about Andy’s escape. (Photo by Matthew Sackmann)
Beware of suicidal threats as attention-seeking behavior on social media
By Sugar Vermonte | Toledo resident
There is a disturbing trend on Facebook and other social media platforms that has surfaced in the wake of Donald Trump’s recent reelection.
Over the past days, I’ve seen far too many posts from people who, upset by the election results, are subtly—or not so subtly—threatening suicide. This behavior, while shocking, raises serious questions about both the appropriateness and the potential harm of using such threats for attention.
Let’s be clear: when someone threatens suicide as a response to political disappointment, they risk diminishing the gravity of suicide itself. Such behavior not only disregards the pain of those genuinely struggling with suicidal thoughts, but it also encourages a disturbing precedent—that it’s acceptable to equate transient disappointment with a true mental health crisis.
In reality, suicide is a deeply serious issue that deserves our full attention and respect, and using it as a tool for emotional validation or attention-seeking does far, far more harm than good.
Additionally, problematic are those well-intentioned (or fellow performatively seeking attention) individuals who comment, validating the assertion that the threat of suicide on social media due to one’s preferred candidate losing an election is acceptable behavior.
For those who are truly struggling in the wake of these election results, I am so sorry that you are in such a deep dark place right now – please, please reach out to one of the many great resources available, including dialing 988 – the national suicide and crisis lifeline.
However, if this election loss has genuinely driven you to thoughts of self-harm, that points to a deeper issue that requires professional support beyond the political realm. I urge you to reach out for that help—both for this, and to address the root issue that has taken you to this dark place.
The vast overwhelming majority of people who have posted, however, are not suicidal. They are hurt or confused or angry in innumerable ways.
Threatening self-harm when your preferred candidate loses an election cheapens a conversation that demands utmost respect. We owe it to those suffering a real mental health crisis to treat their struggle with the seriousness it deserves—not to weaponize it in our selfish search for validation or attention.
Let’s remember that words have power, especially in a public forum. If you’re struggling, reach out. But if you’re not, your feelings don’t need validated. Rather, you need to be confronted with the inappropriate way that you chose to express those feelings, and then do some self-reflection.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will be on the move throughout December. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
Child medical care on the move throughout Toledo
TOLEDO – If you are looking to access routine medical services for your child close to home, a visit to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile clinic in your neighborhood could be a convenient solution.
Care Mobile provides a way for families to get immunizations, well-child checks, mental health assessment, nutrition counseling, and hearing and vision screening across the Toledo area on a drop-in basis.
All children from newborns to 17 are welcome, although the service is primarily designed for those aged six and younger.
“While this program is not meant to replace regular visits to a doctor, it does provide an entry point into a regular pattern of health care for children,” ProMedica says on its website.
One of the most popular services has been school and sports physicals.
“Right at the beginning of school is our busiest time,” Pamela Weber, office manager for the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, said, explaining that local doctors are sometimes booked three months out for those appointments.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile team from left: Stephanie Showers, pediatric nurse practioner; Latrease Boykin, medical assistant; Christina Cooper, driver; and Pamela Weber, office manager. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
Pamela Weber, office manager for the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, points out the vital readings station in one of the two exam rooms. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
Ronald McDonald House Charities has been in the Toledo area since 1982, providing comfort and assistance to families whose children are in medical treatment.
The Care Mobile program was introduced locally in August 2023, and started making rounds in October 2023 with one stop a week. The schedule stepped up in January, and the tour dates are now three times a week.
The response from families has been very good, said Stephanie Showers, pediatric nurse practitioner for Mobile Care. “They like that we are in the community. Some maybe don’t have transportation.”
Locally, Care Mobile is a partnership of ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House Charities, Northwest Ohio. The medical professional staff is through ProMedica. A grant from Ronald McDonald House Global Foundation provided a grant for the vehicle cost.
Community agencies that host clinic stops include Lucas Metropolitan Housing and Toledo Lucas County Public Library.
“We have the buildings. We already have the people coming to us. It was a natural fit from the start,” said Allison Fiscus, adult services coordinator with the library system. “We’ve seen quite a bit of positive impact all around.”
Logistically, the mobile medical clinic is similar to a recreational travel vehicle with its pop-out extensions, running water and electricity. Inside there are two private patient exam rooms with testing equipment, such as a vision screening chart and weigh scales. A small waiting area features a bench seat adjacent to the check-in desk. There is also a small bathroom.
Driver Christina Cooper said she pulls up to a site about two hours before the clinic opens to get the vehicle moved in and set up for the day.
Fiscus said the size of the vehicle is why clinic stops that would normally be at the South Branch Library have been relocated temporarily. Nearby construction has made it difficult, if not impossible, for the Mobile Care vehicle to get through to its usual location in that neighborhood.
Small gifts are available for children who get medical care from the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. The items include coloring books, stuffed animals and toothbrushes. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
Ronald McDonald Care Mobile clinic services are open to all families in the community, regardless of ability to pay. An insurance card, identification and primary care provider information will be asked for at check-in. Those who need help getting on an insurance plan will get referrals on how to sign up for Medicaid or other programs.
In fact, some of those referrals will be toward other services at the library, as its facilities are also available for Community Health Navigator appointments and the University of Toledo’s Mobile Health Unit.
“One of our overreaching missions is to be a community hub,” Fiscus said. “We are supported by Lucas County, and that’s not something we take for granted in any form.”
The Ronald McDonald Mobile Care stop schedule can be found at promedica.org/caremobile, and also is shared by Toledo Lucas County Public Library and community agencies as neighborhood dates are confirmed.
This wild turkey was spotted in the Oak Openings Preserve Metropark in Whitehouse. (TFP Photo/Art Weber)
The big birds make comeback after nearly disappearing in 1904
It has been almost 25 years since the first wild turkeys were reintroduced to Lucas County as part of an ongoing statewide effort to bring back a healthy population of the big birds.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife was responsible for the reintroduction, which started in the 1950s in southern Ohio. The program was so successful that it extended gradually to other Ohio regions. It started here in 2000 with the Division releasing a handful of adult birds in Oak Openings Preserve Metropark.
Those birds have since extended their range and have become well-established in a number of Metroparks Toledo, including Swan Creek Preserve, Brookwood, Wildwood Preserve and Oak Openings Preserve. It’s not uncommon in the winter months to see flocks of a dozen or more birds, occasionally many more.
It took time and dedication, but their comeback is a happy milestone in a story that hit its lowest time in 1904, when it was declared that the wild turkey had disappeared from Ohio.
Wild turkeys can now be found in all 88 Ohio counties. The statewide wild turkey population is estimated to be over 150,000 birds.
OHIO – Gerald Bruce may have lost the first battle in his effort to radically overhaul Ohio’s system of assessing and collecting property taxes.
But the 64-year-old Groveport maintenance worker isn’t giving up his crusade – the first step of which involves trying to personally get 1,000 voters to sign his petition for a constitutional amendment that, among other things, would cap a property’s taxable value until it’s transferred or sold.
“I don’t go around to houses now, especially after dark. Some people just are really jumpy,” Bruce said.
I’m interested in Bruce’s story not because I think he’s likely to succeed but because I’m keeping an eye on broader grassroots efforts focused on property taxes and the real-world impact of property-tax increases.
There’s an ongoing property tax revaluation happening in phases around the state, which will be the first since the low interest rates of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic helped send home values skyrocketing. That means that, depending on where they live, Ohio property owners are likely to see significant increases in their tax bills soon, if they haven’t already.
Around 12 people – representing several different anti-property tax groups from the Cleveland and Cincinnati areas – held a rally at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, calling on lawmakers to either reform property tax laws or eliminate them altogether.
We’re going to become a voting bloc, I know it. This is changing across the country … We’ve been mad by ourselves for far too long.
Sarah Wolf of Cincinnati
There are a bunch of bills pending in the Ohio legislature to limit property taxes. Some apply to certain groups – like military widows or senior citizens – while others are more broad. Some would require the state to pay to offset property tax hikes while others would reduce revenue for schools and other local government entities.
There’s even a proposal from lawmakers to amend the state constitution – which would require voter approval – to freeze annual tax increases at 4 percent. This proposal got its first committee hearing on Tuesday, roughly six months after it was introduced.
The bills seem unlikely to pass, given the disagreement over whether state or local government should foot the bill, so to speak. But I’ll be writing more on this topic soon.
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