Community Violence Prevention Forum Planned for April 13–United Against Violence

By Dave Murray

TCC Web Editor

MARCH 10, 2022–With violent crime spiking in Toledo, as in cities across the country, the Lucas County Health Department’s Office of Minority Health is sponsoring a Community Violence Prevention Forum from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, at the Main Branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public library, 325 North Michigan St., in downtown Toledo.

Toledo recorded a record 71 homicides in 2021, up from 61 homicides in 2020. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the homicide rate rose nationally by 30 percent between 2019 and 2020, the highest increase recorded in modern history. That fact was reported January 1 by The Blade in its yearly story on violent crime in Toledo. The Blade quoted Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates as saying there were many causes for the uptick in violence, but they all started with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s not rocket science. We had COVID. We had people in lockdown. We had issues, so people are frustrated,” Ms. Bates said. “They drink more, they smoke dope, they do crack. They get mad. They have guns and then a fight over a little fender bender turns into a homicide. A crack about something somebody said about somebody’s girlfriend in a bar turns into a homicide … We have to stop this nonsense because we’re only hurting ourselves.”

The forum will focus on four areas of concern:

• Learn how lead affects behavior.
• Trauma–informed care.
• Dealing with grief.
• Know your rights as a citizen.

Kimberly Toles, Minority Health program coordinator, said “the purpose of this forum is to raise awareness around risk factors that may be affecting a child’s long term behaviors. Our focus is on prevention. We want people to understand environmental factors that affect behaviors., and inform participants where they can get resources and help.”

Ms. Toles said three members from the community will speak at the forum. Two of the speakers will be retired deputies with the Lucas County Sheriff’s office and the other is a mother who lost her grandson to violence. Gloria Smith will speak about how lead affects behaviors; Bishop Marcia Dinkins will speak on trauma-informed care, and Ohio Representative and former Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson will open the forum.

Kimberly Toles, MA, CDCA, serves as the program coordinator with the Toledo office on Minority Health (Funded by the Ohio Commission on Minority Health). She has also served as the Opiate program coordinator in Toledo for three years, providing education, outreach events and working with individuals suffering from addiction. She is also a past board member for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Her work included advocating, educating and providing public awareness for families affected by mental illness.

Additionally, Ms. Toles was a forensic counselor with the Lucas County Sheriff’s office for over twenty years, providing services in mental health and corrections, retiring in 2014. She continues to work effortlessly to provide education to her community on minority health disparities by participating in outreach events, and speaking on various topics such as awareness, prevention and policy changes.

Contact Dave Murray at davidmmurray1954@gmail.com