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Dog shooting incident
Mayor goes to Washington By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com
For the last five years Glenn Hill, his wife Meredith and their children Garrett and Marci of Pumpkin Hill Farms have sold pumpkins to raise money for a local family in need. The Hills locate a family that has fallen on hard times and give 100 percent of the proceeds directly to them. In the top photo is The Hills, Glenn, Marcie the “sales manager”, Garrett the “distribution manager” and Meredith. In the lower photo, Thad Hill and his aunt Laurie Gray wash pumpkins. See story on page 3. (Press photos by Harold Hamilton/HEHphotos.smugmug.com)
Six levies hit forum By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
A public forum that provided voters in Lucas County and Toledo with information regarding six levy issues that will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot was held Sept. 29 at the East Toledo Family Center, which sponsored the event, along with One Voice for East Toledo. The levies include a 0.75 mill property tax renewal for the Toledo Zoo; a 0.17 mill property tax renewal for the Imagination Station; a three-quarter percent income tax renewal for the City of Toledo; a 1.4 mill property tax renewal and a 0.4 mill additional tax for Lucas County Children’s Services; a 2.9 mill property tax renewal and an additional .8 mill levy for the Toledo-Lucas County Library; and a 0.7 mill renewal for the 9-1-1 public safety commu-
nication system. Bob Vasquez, director of external affairs for the Toledo Zoo, said the 0.75 mill property tax renewal sought by the zoo is a decrease from the zoo’s current .85 mill levy. “The Toledo Zoo levy is a reduction. It’s important for everyone to know,” said Vasquez, who said he grew up in East Toledo. “That means for a $100,000 home, you’re going to pay $22.97 per year – a 12 per cent reduction in your taxes,” he said. “The levy funds we’re asking for are for operating expenses, such as animal food, veterinary care, the staff who cares for our animals, our education department, our maintenance and utilities.” The zoo had 1.3 million visitors in 2015, he noted. “That was a pretty extraordinary year because we had just opened our aquarium. Everyone was excited about it. Continued on page 6
Woodville Mayor Rich Harman poses with Coral, a German Shepherd that was used during a Canine Encounters Law Enforcement Training session held in Woodville last February. (Press file photo by Ken Grosjean)
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I thought the way we got bashed and the way some people felt about what happened, we needed to reach out for help.
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Selling pumpkins for a good cause
The shooting of a dog in 2014 by an on-duty Woodville police officer tore the community apart, says Mayor Richard Harman, but the weeks and months that followed were a learning experience that opened his eyes to an issue the breadth of which astounded him. What Harman learned in the aftermath of the shooting he recently shared at a forum hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. where he and Roy Whitehead, the village police chief, were invited to discuss encounters that police have with dogs with other officers and elected officials from across the country. “It was good to tell our story,” the mayor said last week. “We are unique. Most mayors and most police departments go underground when there is a dog shooting and we faced it head on. We said we need training. Ohio doesn’t offer it but next year it will after a law was passed that mandated training for police.” The forum was sponsored by the justice department’s office of Community Oriented Policing Service to emphasize the need for standardizing effective strategies for encounters with dogs during service calls. Mayor Harman told those attending the forum he was unaware before the shooting that Ohio officers graduating from the police academy didn’t have significant training for encounters with dogs. The dog involved in the shooting in Woodville survived but lost a leg. A review of the shooting cleared the officer but the incident drew extensive media coverage as village council’s chambers filled with residents decrying the officer’s actions or expressing support for him. In the ensuing weeks, Mayor Harman received more than 100 calls from dog lovers across the country. The mayor personally funded a training session in May 2015 that drew about 100 members of police departments and other agencies from throughout Ohio. It focused on how officers can use non-lethal defensive tactics when they encounter aggressive dogs. Canine Encounters Law Enforcement Training, Arlington, Texas, conducted the training program and the Ohio Peace Officers Training Commission approved the session for meeting continuing training requirements for officers. “I thought the way we got bashed and the way some people felt about what happened, we needed to reach out for help. It was good for everybody,” the mayor said. An array of subjects was discussed at the D.C. forum. “If there is a domestic call, it’s very important for the dispatcher to find out if the callers have a dog in the house and if they do, the dispatchers should ask to get the dog in a room and away from having any encounter with the officer,” the mayor said. “Some communities offer stickers for residents to place on their doors stating there is a dog on the premises. “Then there is being biased when you hear the breed name, like mastiff or Doberman pinscher. A lot of people get the
idea they’re dangerous dogs and treat them that way. But it’s the way they’re brought up, it’s not the breed, it’s the owner. Some people report a ‘dangerous’ dog in the neighborhood but what they’re actually saying is they want an officer now. The dog isn’t dangerous but they want an officer to respond quickly. There are so many ways to respond besides shooting a dog.” Shannon Long, a spokesperson for the justice department, said about 35 people participated in the forum and the department will have a white paper on the issue published within the next six months.
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I think to attract a tour, a group like this, to Toledo is very challenging.
Peter Ujvagi See page 2