City council candidate lobs criticism at Finkbeiner's plan to reduce violent crime

Jul. 21—A Toledo city council candidate did not mince words Tuesday criticizing a crime-reduction plan Carty Finkbeiner announced as part of his latest run for mayor.

"I feel compelled to speak out about the so-called crime plan released yesterday by Carty Finkbeiner," said Democrat Michele Grim, 39, a political newcomer running for an at-large council seat, said during a news conference outside One Government Center.

"When Finkbeiner was mayor, he laid off 75 Toledo police officers and tried to eliminate the gang task force. He didn't protect public safety then, and now he proposes wasting money on bad ideas that don't work," she said, in partial reference to Mr. Finkbeiner's last term that ended in January, 2010.

Contacted by The Blade, the three-time former mayor asked for a call-back in 15 minutes, upon which time Robert Reinbolt, his senior campaign adviser, called back on his behalf

Mr. Reinbolt defended what he described as police furloughs in 2009 on the basis that they were less severe than Police Chief Mike Navarre's recommendation to lay off 150 officers because of the city's $36 million budget deficit at the time, and said all were eventually rehired within a few months. Mr. Finkbeiner also cut his own salary by $50,000, he said.

"We did a host of things to save money," Mr. Reinbolt, who was then Mr. Finkbeiner's chief of staff, said before noting the crime rate in 2009 "wasn't as bad as the crime rate at this time."

Mr. Finkbeiner, 82, who is seeking a fourth mayoral term, on Monday announced a 10-point plan to reduce violent crime after four people were killed over the weekend in Toledo, bringing its homicide total this year to 37.

Mr. Finkbeiner, who has run for mayor six times before, is doing it this time as an independent Democrat. The county Democratic Party has already endorsed Mr. Kapszukiewicz, 48, for re-election.

Mr. Finkbeiner proposes restoring Toledo's curfew ordinance; increasing partnerships between Toledo police, Lucas County sheriff's deputies, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; passing anti-gun legislation, including banning "Saturday Night Special" handguns; reinstating a gun buy-back program, and hiring young people to clean up and beautify the city.

He also wants to double or triple the amount of reward money offered for Crime Stopper tips; strengthen neighborhood Block Watch groups; install drop-boxes at firehouses where people can log public safety concerns; work with local judges to keep serious offenders off the streets, and support Toledo police initiatives.

A University of Toledo graduate with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in public health, Ms. Grim obtained a doctor of law and policy degree from Northeastern University last year.

Ms. Grim said restoring the curfew would be a "misuse of police resources," because no evidence sustains curfews' effectiveness at reducing crime while their enforcement diverts police resources, potentially enabling crime elsewhere.

A gun buy-back program, she said, would also be "a waste of money" because there is no proof such programs reduce gun violence, while the only "youth investment" is paying teenagers to pick up litter — "a job we give to convicts."

Ms. Grim said she supports Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz in his re-election campaign "as a problem solver who ... is creating the opportunities for youth, increasing our police force while asking for a police reform."

During his 2017 campaign, the mayor promised to hire 40 police officers a year, which he said would increase manpower by a net of 60 after retirements within four years. As of the academy class graduation last month, TPD's ranks totaled 605, an increase of just three over the "dangerously low" level he cited during that campaign. The mayor said during the rally last week he now has a goal of 625 officers by year's end.

First Published July 20, 2021, 6:34pm