Police Crack Down on Speeding and Semi-Truck Drivers in Residential Neighborhoods

At the September 18, 2025, Police Chief Josh Gibson mentioned that the police department is increasing traffic enforcement to “promote public safety.” He stated that in the last two weeks, the department has conducted an additional 117 traffic stops and written 53 additional citations. According to Gibson, the department is currently targeting areas where they have received complaints, like West Main Street, Locus Street, and residential areas. Gibson encouraged residents to report violations, so police can continue to target areas of concern.

Additionally, Mayor Pat Haley paid tribute to conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered last week at Utah Valley University while hosting a public debate event. Haley stated, “I never met Charlie Kirk, and I didn’t follow his every word, but I did see him on television from time to time. He’s one of those faces you’d catch while flipping through the channels, confident, sharp, unafraid to speak his mind. Still, as a father, when news broke that at 31 he’d be shot down, murdered in cold blood for what he stood for, I couldn’t help but picture the shock and heartbreak his family must’ve felt when that call came.”

At the conclusion of his tribute, he called for more police officers in Wilmington in response to the events. Haley stated, “Every time a national figure is targeted, it’s not just their immediate circle that suffers. The shockwaves ripple outward. It emboldens the unstable, the angry, the ones who already think violence is an answer… We have to meet this moment with action and not just words, and that means taking a hard look at how we protect our community.”

To learn more, visit wilmingtonohio.gov.