{"id":7915,"date":"2023-03-30T14:14:05","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T14:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=7915"},"modified":"2023-03-30T14:14:05","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T14:14:05","slug":"the-coalition-for-peaceful-toledo-neighborhoods-seeks-meeting-with-the-mayor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/30\/the-coalition-for-peaceful-toledo-neighborhoods-seeks-meeting-with-the-mayor\/","title":{"rendered":"The Coalition for Peaceful Toledo Neighborhoods Seeks Meeting with the Mayor"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Former Mayor Mike Bell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Truth Staff<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Several dozen members of the community gathered at Park Church on Saturday, March 25, to hear former Toledo mayors expound on their belief that the problems of gun violence in the city can be solved by utilizing the commonsense approach they have proposed and without the expensive interference of an outside group.<\/p>\n

Former mayors Donna Owens, Mike Bell and Carty Finkbeiner, of the Coalition for Peaceful Toledo Neighborhoods, all spoke passionately about the 12-point proposal they have assembled after months of listening to the community while also railing against the city\u2019s administration for the apparent unwillingness to meet with them and discuss the options.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got together because nothing was happening and people were getting shot,\u201d said Owens. \u201cWe have not been welcomed by the administration but we have been welcomed by the people.<\/p>\n

Owens spoke of some of the items on the 12-point list, particularly restoring block\u00a0 watch to its previous prominence in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlock watch is what people want \u2026 it\u2019s not hard and there is money available. We want to help \u2026 we don\u2019t want to accuse but get off your duffs and do something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former mayor Bell emphasized the importance of the input the mayors\u2019 group had received from the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are four taxpayers,\u201d said Bell of the group of former mayors (former mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson is also part of the group, though not present on this particular day). \u201cWe are not talking for ourselves, we are talking about what people are saying.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Former Mayors Donna Owens and Carty Finkbeiner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe 12 points are what citizens are saying. We four former mayors are taking our egos out of this. From multiple dimensions we are talking. But we\u2019re done sitting here talking and talking and talking. We want a one-on-one with the mayor \u2026 we\u2019ve been waiting too long for a report,\u201d said Bell referring a report from Cities United, the firm the city will be hiring to tell the administration and city council how to reduce gun violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat [report] looks like a waste of time and money,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Bell then told the attendees that the mayor\u2019s group will be heading down to Columbus within the week to meet with the state safety director and the director of mental health.<\/p>\n

Finkbeiner also expressed his frustration with what he sees is inaction on the part of the city administration and the proposed contract with the outside firm, Cities United.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will solve our problems in our city,\u201d he told the attendees. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be hiring them to come here to solve the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cities United is a firm that was founded a dozen years ago to advise city administrations on solutions to gun violence. To date, the organization lists 130 cities that they have worked with and one of those cities, much to Finkbeiner\u2019s chagrin, is Louisville, Kentucky, also the headquarters of the firm.<\/p>\n

\u201cLouisville, Kentucky has just been identified as the most messed up city in the United States,\u201d said Finkbeiner referring to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice about the work that Louisville, particularly its police department, needs to do to clean up its many issues.<\/p>\n

United States Attorney General Merrick Garland released a report earlier this month finding that the city and its police department have\u00a0violated the constitutional rights<\/a>\u00a0of its citizens, particularly Black people.<\/p>\n

The department, for years, “has practiced an aggressive style of policing that it deploys selectively, especially against Black people, but also against vulnerable people throughout the city. LMPD cites people for minor offenses, like wide turns and broken taillights, while serious crimes like sexual assault and homicide go unsolved,\u201d said Garland.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kristen\u00a0Clarke, assistant\u00a0attorney general\u00a0for Civil Rights, added: \u201cPeople in Louisville deserve constitutional policing. They deserve policing that is fair and non-discriminatory.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said, for instance,\u00a0Louisville police selectively targeted Black people compared to their white counterparts.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur investigation found that the police department and city government failed to adequately protect and serve the people of Louisville, breached the public’s trust and discriminated against Black people through unjustified stop, searches and arrests,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Garland also announced Louisville has agreed \u201cin principle\u201d to forge a consent decree that will be enforced by a federal judge who will monitor the city\u2019s progress in adopting reforms.<\/p>\n

This weekend, Bell added one more criticism of the current city administration\u2019s failure to move on a plan to curb violence. \u201cWhat we are trying to do now,\u201d he said referring to the administration, \u201cis figure out what is perfect politics for moving forward, meanwhile \u2026 pop \u2026 pop \u2026 pop.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 12-point Coalition platform is comprised of the following points:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Youth programming that provides access to mentorship, job training and educational opportunities;<\/li>\n
  2. Neighborhood support and community building resources that foster positive relationships and build stronger, more cohesive communities;<\/li>\n
  3. Increased police presence and involvement in neighborhoods, focused on community policing efforts that prioritize communications, trust and respect between law enforcement and residents;<\/li>\n
  4. Our judicial, probation and parole system, while following the law, must apply stringent penalties to convicted offenders and limit the ability of repeat violent offenders to walk the streets while awaiting trial.<\/li>\n
  5. Support for parents and parenting classes, including access to resources on conflict resolution and parenting techniques;<\/li>\n
  6. Revitalization and cleanup of neighborhoods, including investment in infrastructure and beautification efforts that support community engagement and increase access to public spaces;<\/li>\n
  7. Mental health resources that provide access to counseling, crisis intervention and other mental health services;<\/li>\n
  8. Renewal and strengthening of Community Watch programs, including the expansion of programs and resources that facilitate communication and engagement between neighbors and law enforcement.<\/li>\n
  9. Strengthening of gun laws, including the adoption of local policies and ordinances aimed at preventing gun violence and supporting responsible gun ownership;<\/li>\n
  10. Safe methods of reporting crimes, including the development of anonymous reporting mechanisms and the adoption of policies that protect whistleblowers and other informants;<\/li>\n
  11. Cameras in the neighborhoods, including the deployment of surveillance technologies that are subject to strict privacy protections and oversight mechanisms;<\/li>\n
  12. Enforcement of curfews, including the adoption of clear, consistent policies on curfews for minors and the provision of resources and support for parents to ensure compliance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Truth Staff Several dozen members of the community gathered at Park Church on Saturday, March 25, to hear former Toledo mayors expound on their belief that the problems of gun violence in the city can be solved by utilizing the commonsense approach they have proposed and without the expensive interference of an outside group. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,17],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[168],"class_list":["post-7915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-headline","category-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7915"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7918,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7915\/revisions\/7918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7915"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=7915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}