TOLEDO, Ohio — Earlier this month, Toledo city officials turned their attention to a neighborhood battling crime and other issues. Now, residents of the Lagrange area are hoping city officials will keep their focus on the neighborhood with programs and investment that can bring real, sustained improvement to the place they call home.
Last week, city officials announced they had completed a secret initiative to clean up crime in the neighborhood. Operation LASER, which stands for the Lagrange Area Safety Enforcement Response was a success, officials said, allowing them to remove more than 52 guns, arrest 212 people, and seize more than $270,000 worth of illegal drugs.
Department officials also met with people living in North Toledo at the Zablocki Senior Center. But community members say it should just be the beginning.
Residents there say they noticed a difference as TPD worked to remove guns from the area. Days after police revealed the operation and announced its results, neighbors said the initiative is a good start, but there's still a long road ahead.
"There were much more police cars in the area, going down side streets where I didn't usually see them," resident Cathy Schultz said. Schultz has lived on Lagrange Street for more than 50 years.
She and other long-time residents, including Annie Walker, who has lived there for more than 40 years, want a long-term plan.
"More needs to be done," Walker said. "Taking a gun away is great, but I heard some young people say well they're making it our area now. They taking the guns away from the people now. Everybody knows that."
Residents said the city should focus on economic development, establish adequate health care and clean up blight. Walker pointed to the Stickney area as neighborhood where programs like this have been successful.
When city officials helped demolish abandoned houses and build new ones, the neighborhood improved. She also called for more focus on economic development to improve quality of life.
Schultz and Walker agree it's going to take more than just police to fix their problems. But with their help moving forward, they could see things take a turn for North Toledo. The expect city officials who promise change to make firm commitments and stick to them, the women said.
"When we had the Lagrange village council meetings, we asked city council people and the mayor to commit to certain things," she said. "We would like to see the police commit to certain things too," Schultz said.
"It would help. It would make sure that more people like me, homeowners, care about their neighborhood. Speak up, out about crime," Walker said.
One Village Council plans to hold a meeting with community members next month on Feb. 24. The meeting be at 6 p.m. the Zablocki Senior Center. They plan to invite Toledo police and their district's Toledo City Council member, Vanice Williams, to further expand on a future plan.