Toledo Mayor addresses city crime stats for mid-2025

TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo Police Chief Mike Troendle and Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz addressed the city’s crime statistics at the year’s midway point during a press conference Thursday. 

Kapszukiewicz began the conference by discussing the purpose of the quarterly press conference and crime statistic updates. Statistics displayed at the conference showed that all categories of violent crime were down for the entire first half of the year.

“It’s a good story, it’s an encouraging story,” Kapszukiewicz said regarding the statistics. But he also acknowledged the city’s July 4 weekend, which saw a total of seven homicides.

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The first half of 2025 saw the following number of violent crimes: 

• Auto Theft: 546
• Burglary: 539
• Homicide: 15
• Robbery: 142
• Theft from a motor vehicle: 426
• Persons shot: 72

While homicides are lower at this point than they were during the middle of last year, Kapszukiewicz acknowledged that July’s homicides specifically were much higher: He said that two-thirds of the number of homicides at this point in 2024 occurred just in the month of July in 2025. 

But Kapszukiewicz stressed what he said is the overall trend of a city with less crime. 

“The overall story is still the same, of a community that is safer,” he said. 

He described the July 4 weekend violence as “unusual” and “out-of-character” for the city, but said it still warranted a press conference. 

“Sometime progress isn’t linear,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean that we’re not moving in the right direction.”

Kapszukiewicz addressed climate change and weather as a possible factor in a summer increase in crime, but also said that city efforts and youth programming have resulted in the decrease they have seen at the year’s midpoint. 

Troendle then spoke about the crime stats and said that, despite the decrease in crime overall during the year, violent crime during the month of July was “unacceptable.”

“We are still on the right path,” he said. “We’re not going to let one week derail those efforts.”

Troendle said that immediately after the July 4 weekend, Toledo Police increased patrols and crime suppression efforts. 

Malcolm Cunningham, the director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, also spoke. Cunningham said his group is also conducting a weekly review of crime in neighborhoods with other grassroots crime prevention organizations. 

Additionally, Joe Fausnaugh, the city’s Director of Parks and Youth Services described the agency’s efforts to reduce crime in public places and encourage safety. Audrey Johnson, who operates a city summer program for youth, also spoke. Her program, called “Shoot This, Not That,” teaches young people about camera work and media technology as a creative outlet so as to avoid violent crime. 

A placard displayed at the conference showed the number of homicides throughout the last five years, including 2025. They are below:

2021
Total homicides: 72
July homicides: 11
Mid-year: 29

2022
Total homicides: 65
July homicides: 9
Mid-year: 24

2023
Total homicides: 43
July homicides: 3
Mid-year: 15

2024
Total homicides: 38
July homicides: 1
Mid-year: 19

2025
July homicides: 9
Mid-year: 15

At the mid-year crime statistics update in 2024, Toledo Police provided the following numbers in their respective categories:

• Auto Theft: 574
• Burglary: 623
• Homicide: 19
• Robbery: 176
• Theft from a motor vehicle: 591
• Persons shot: 109

Homicides at the mid-point of 2024 were lower higher than the mid-point of 2023, but the total number of homicides for the year ended up being lower than in 2023. 

You can watch the full press conference below: