Mayoral candidate Jan Scotland releases plan to curb Toledo violence

Jul. 29—Mayoral candidate Jan Scotland on Thursday unveiled a plan to curb rising rates of gun violence and violent crime in Toledo, which is on track to beat last year's record‑breaking number of homicides.

Mr. Scotland, a Republican, is calling for the "full participation and support of law enforcement" in community policing, a Toledo joint recreation district, and an emphasis on jobs.

"They want to be safe, but then the things they're going to have to do to make them safe can be touchy," said Mr. Scotland, who characterized his plan as being tough on crime while also providing opportunities for youth to improve their lives. "You have to be committed to doing that. Otherwise you have kids or grandkids ... getting shot and killed every day."

Speaking at the Octagon Hall on University Avenue in central Toledo, Mr. Scotland laid out a plan calling on the community to "stop any hint of defund the police" and urging law enforcement to "aggressively" go after people involved with violent crime. He also proposed the creation of a joint recreation district as a partnership between the city and public schools, funded with money from the $181 million federal stimulus payout to Toledo.

"What I have found is that given an option, they're going to take it, and because [youth] just want to belong to something," said Mr. Scotland, who founded the Sleepy Hollow Athletic League. "And if you give them something that's positive, then you have a chance to keep them out of the gang."

Mr. Scotland, a one‑time city councilman, has said the rising crime rate in the city was what pushed him to enter the mayoral race against incumbent Wade Kapszukiewicz and former mayor Carty Finkbeiner. Mr. Finkbeiner has also said it's a top concern, driving the back and forth between the candidates in this year's mayoral primary.

Mr. Finkbeiner released a 10‑point plan to address crime earlier this month after four people were killed in a single weekend. His plan calls for strengthening partnerships between law enforcement agencies, passing stricter anti‑gun legislation, and restoring a gun buyback program, among other things.

Campaigning in 2017, Mr. Kapszukiewicz pledged to beef up Toledo's police force and has said he's 40 officers shy of his goal. He also launched a new program to reduce gun violence and hired Toledo native and former professional football player JoJuan Armour to lead it.

"From growing the size of the police force to creating the largest collection of youth programs in the history of the city of Toledo, we are already doing the things contained in Mr. Scotland's proposal. I look forward to continue building on these initiatives during my next four years as mayor," Mr. Kapszukiewicz responded in a statement.

Mr. Scotland's supporters said he has the experience in the community and working with youth to back up his plan.

"He spent a lot of years working with youth. People really shy away from working with youth, which that is our force, that is our backbone," said the Rev. James H. Willis, Sr., the pastor at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church.

First Published July 29, 2021, 5:34pm