TOLEDO, Ohio – Brysen Davis, a violence‑interruption specialist and case manager with the nonprofit Save Our Community, was called into the City of Toledo’s Human Resources office on Thursday and handed a termination notice effective in January. Davis, who works directly with young people at high risk of gun and gang violence, said the news feels like “a stab in the back” for both himself and the community he serves.
Potential impact on over 100 at‑risk youth
Davis explained that his team has built trust with more than 100 young residents who are entangled in gun‑related activity. “If that population of young people is cut off from support, cold turkey, I can’t imagine anything good can come from it,” he said. The program operates under the mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, and its possible elimination would leave a gap in services that are hard to replace.
Mayor’s warning about budget cuts
In an interview on Oct. 28, just days before the recent midterm election, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz warned that rejecting Issue 16 – the so‑called safety tax – could trigger “massive cuts” to city services. He specifically noted that the worst‑case budget scenario would include eliminating the violence‑intervention program.
The city’s final budget has not yet been released, so it remains unclear whether the program will be fully defunded. The proposed budget is expected on Monday, and it is expected to clarify the fate of the initiative and the staff who run it.
Questions about case transfers
Davis expressed concern that even if cases are transferred to other agencies, the relationships he and his team have cultivated could be lost. “If the relationship isn’t there, there isn’t much of a transition,” he said, noting that continuity is essential for effective intervention.
He added that he will spend his remaining weeks trying to connect the young people he serves to any remaining resources, but he remains anxious about the long‑term outcome.
Community response
Local advocates and residents have voiced worries that cutting the program could undermine public‑safety efforts that rely on community‑based outreach. While the city has not issued a formal statement beyond the HR notice, the issue has sparked a broader conversation about how Toledo funds its safety initiatives and the role of nonprofit partners in preventing gun violence.
As the city awaits the budget release, stakeholders on both sides of the debate will be watching closely to see whether the violence‑intervention program will survive or be discontinued.
Original reporting: 13abc WTVG Toledo (news) — read the source article.
