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Michael Rose, a lifelong North Toledo resident, expresses his anger during a forum on last week's north-end riot.
( THE BLADE/ALLAN DETRICH ) |
Many at the forum asked for city leaders to be lenient with juvenile offenders who were involved. Put them to work in the community, but don’t give them criminal records, they said.
“Hands off our young, black men,” said Washington Muhammad, who said they could provide service at his Self Expression Teen Theater.
During the forum, some North Toledo residents accused city police of being unresponsive to their past emergency calls, while others accused police of being racist.
Seated at a table, Mayor Jack Ford listened and constantly jotted notes. Afterward, he told residents he’d identified 35 key points to address on their behalf.
He vowed to help raise money for a family resource center in the neighborhood and said he would form a core group of residents to probe north-side issues. While he defended police response during the riot, he said, “We can always have better police-community relations.”
But he said those who’ve been charged with arson “will and need to be prosecuted. Period.”
Mayoral candidate Carty Finkbeiner, who’s challenging Mr. Ford in the Nov. 8 election, also attended the forum, but he left before it ended and did not speak. Several of his supporters sat in the crowd wearing his campaign’s T-shirts.
Miss Kaptur said she was pleased by the suggestions, including one calling for a solidarity march across the community. She also told the crowd she’s asked for a meeting with the FBI to identify non-Toledo residents who were involved in the incident.
“I have tears in my eyes for what we did here today,” Miss Kaptur said.
Afterward, the congressman went to Woodward High School to talk with members of its basketball team who were preparing — with rakes, brooms, and bags in hand — to descend into a nearby neighborhood to clean yards.
The team’s coach, Corey Tucker, organized the event as a positive way to respond to what happened last weekend. Woodward Principal Ron Spitulski said some of his students were arrested last week, but he didn’t have exact numbers.
“This is just to speak to the community,” the principal said.
Despite the chaos of Oct. 15, yesterday afternoon was quiet as the students stopped at homes and raked leaves into streets.
Marty Overton, 16, said he wasn’t involved in the rioting but witnessed it from his car along with his mother. “It was crazy. She took me straight home,” he said.
Higgins Street resident Jamey Aldrich followed the students through the streets, repeatedly bragging about their efforts.
“This is decent after last Saturday,” he said. “These kids want to make a difference. Let them do it.”
Contact Kim Bates at: kimbates@theblade.com or 419-724-6074.