Engel will provide calm, steady, and effective legal advice to the Mayor, City Council, and all municipal departments.  As Law Director, he will share many responsibilities with the Mayor, City Council, and other officials to deal with issues such as economic development, public safety, stormwater management, and much more. 

Engel’s goal will be to help the Wilmington invest in in infrastructure, road paving, and parks in all corners of the community.   The very best legal advice is needed to keep the cost of living in Wilmington low and the quality of life high, so the economy can continue to attract new good-paying jobs.

Engel believes that whether you’re a teacher, a police officer, a firefighter, a plumber, or a small business owner, you deserve to have a livable, affordable Wilmington. As Law Director, Engel will always be a champion for the interests of working people.  He will make sure that the City acts within the law to address inequality and make sure everyone has access to safe streets and affordable housing.  And he will always look for at innovative ways to make Wilmington work better.

As a non-partisan candidate, Engel will be guided not by party obligations, but the basic principles instilled in him by his parents, teachers, and years as a public servant.  He will always treat everyone in the community with dignity and respect regardless of party affiliation.  To succeed as an effective legal advisor for city government, Engel will do the hard work of necessary to empower trusted city officials.

Joshua Engel and his wife, Laura Struve, have lived in Wilmington for over twenty years.   Laura is an English professor at Wilmington College.   Together, Josh and Laura they have raised two daughters who are active in Wilmington Public Schools, participating in swim team and band, among other activities.

Engel serves as Vice President of the Clinton County Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to make Clinton County a better place to live, now and for future generations.  As a Board Member he helps to manage millions of dollars in charitable funds and works to promote charitable giving while connecting donors to the critical needs of the Wilmington community.

Engel also serves on the board of HealthFirst, a multi-million dollar community foundation which evolved from the former CMH Foundation after the hospital was sold to a for-profit entity.  HealthFirst supports organizations and initiatives that promote the good health of residents in Clinton County, Ohio through education, innovation, and patient care support. 

Engel has also taught classes at Wilmington College, including criminal law and mediation.  Engel has coached youth soccer and during the summer can often be seen on the side of the pool officiating Barracuda swim meets.  On most mornings, Engel can be found walking his dog around the neighborhood and on the Bike Trail.

Joshua Engel believes strongly in Community Prosecution.

Community prosecution is founded on the idea that prosecutors have a responsibility not only to prosecute cases but to solve public safety problems, prevent crime, and improve public confidence in the justice system.  Engel believes that prosecutors should not simply sit in an office waiting for the police to bring them cases, and that the success of his office will not be measured in the volume of cases, conviction rates, or sentence lengths.

Engel and his assistants will work directly in neighborhoods, develop relationships with local groups, align enforcement priorities with residents’ public safety concerns, and seek proactive solutions to prevent crime.  Engel believes that trust between the community and the Law Director’s office is essential to maintain legitimacy and credibility.  Engel will prioritize strengthening links to the community, promoting partnerships, and encouraging the development of problem-solving strategies to enhance public health and safety.  Community members will be encouraged to provide “Neighborhood Impact Statements” to report quality of life concerns to the authorities.

As Law Director, Engel will implement a Community Prosecution initiative to coordinates efforts to address quality of life issues in Wilmington’s neighborhoods.  Engel will focus on prosecuting traditional criminal offenses that have a unique impact on communities, such as criminal damaging (for graffiti), open dumping, prostitution, loud noise, barking dog, assault, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, drug offenses and littering. Engel will also work with the Mayor and Council to pursue code enforcement and other public nuisances.  

Joshua Engel believes that we need new strategies to address the homeless problem in Wilmington.  It is not a crime to be homeless, but research shows that homeless people are much more likely to be perpetrators, as well as victims of crime when compared to the general population.  

Engel will use all available resources to address the Homeless problem in Wilmington.  Engel believes that law enforcement and prosecutor should work to get people help before they face serious charges or become repeat offenders.  Engel also supports state and local legislative changes that would allow more people to be held for psychiatric evaluations and the use of technology to connect people with shelter beds as an alternative to jail. 

In Wilmington, Engel will work with the Mayor and Council to support extended outreach to connect more people on the street with services to help them overcome issues related to their homelessness.

Engel believes that people should not be given the option of continuing to commit crimes and remain on the street.  

Engel will seek to implement a “street diversion” program, meaning people facing low-level offenses would be given an option of going to a shelter or treatment rather than going to jail.  Engel also supports expanding existing diversion programs for individuals charged with low-level offenses.  Under court diversion programs, offenders of low-level misdemeanors such as trespassing or illegal lodging could have their cases dismissed by entering therapy, seeking assistance, and completing volunteer hours.  Engel will use the court system to steer homeless citizens to high-quality, clinically necessary, therapeutic residential treatment and services.

As a former prosecutor, Joshua Engel knows that public safety is a complex issue that requires informed, thoughtful, and realistic solutions.  He has always been tough on criminals, but also knows that scare tactics that grab headlines don’t make a city safer.  Engel knows that there are situations where we need to take into account the individual circumstances — such as the particular facts of cases, the circumstances of victims, and the background of the person accused of the crime – to try to craft a reasonable solution that makes sure that we protect the community while at the same time rehabilitating offenders and deterring future crimes.  

The City Attorney is responsible for the prosecution of all municipal offenses in Wilmington, as well as initial appearances for many felony cases.  Engel will work to add resources in targeted ways to address actual public safety needs.   Engel knows that our resources are not infinite, so he will devote available resources toward making sure that we have a safer community.  He will work with the Mayor, Public Safety Director, and Chief of Police to rethink how Wilmington approaches policing and will use proven approaches to stop crime before it starts.

Engel is a proponent of the “Broken Windows” theory of prosecution.  Engel believes that aggressive targeting of minor crimes can lead to a reduction in more serious crimes down the road.  Engel believes that if minor offenses go unpunished, an air of lawlessness can pervade a community and lead to an increase in serious crime.  Research shows that vigorous enforcement and prosecution of laws against minor crimes can help to reduce the future incidence of more serious crimes. 

Engel’s focus will be on crimes that directly impact the quality of family life in Wilmington.  He will work to make sure that we are spending most of our resources on theft, trespassing, vandalism, code enforcement, and other things that make our communities feel safer by making sure that the resources of the justice system are focused on those very important issues instead of just those crimes that grab headlines. 

Joshua Engel is different from other lawyers.  As a former prosecutor, Engel brings a unique perspective to handling law enforcement and public safety matters.  

Law Enforcement officers trust Engel when they face legal challenges and investigations. When a police officer is in trouble, they know who to call, Joshua Engel.  Engel works with the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police and the Ohio State Troopers Association to provide representation to police officers throughout Ohio.  

Engel has represented numerous police office and troopers in both criminal and civil matters.  He successfully represented law enforcement officers in a federal criminal trial.  He represented an officer accused of misconduct in a trial in Clermont County.  And he represents the Fraternal Order of Police in litigation in federal court.  Engel has written amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs to the Ohio Supreme Court, the federal courts of appeals, and the United States Supreme Court on behalf of state and national law enforcement organizations.  In 2007, Engel’s work as a prosecutor was recognized by a Meritorious Service Award from the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association.