Toledo committee weighs alternatives after Northwest police station called unsafe

The Toledo City Council Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee on July 29 heard detailed testimony that the D. Michael Collins Northwest District Station is unsafe for sustained operations and discussed short- and long-term alternatives, including using a Mercy campus building on Cherry Street and shifting some units to Ottawa Park.

Chief Mike Trendley told the committee the Northwest station has recurring parking‑lot and basement flooding that has damaged vehicles and interior spaces, caused mold, and produced safety hazards for staff. "It just does not make sense. It is not good for us to continue to place our officers in those kind of working conditions," Trendley said. He said fixes would require "tens of millions of dollars" because the site is a low point in the neighborhood that collects storm drainage.

Why it matters: The station’s condition affects officer safety and how police maintain a visible neighborhood presence. Committee members, neighborhood residents and police leaders debated tradeoffs between keeping a local substation and relocating units to safer, possibly more centralized facilities — decisions that would affect patrol patterns, community policing and budget priorities.

Trendley and Assistant Chief Kevin Braun outlined the department’s…