Defiance Police Department

09/04/2026

Ohio HWC is directed by Hopewell Health Centers and supported by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, OhioHWC collaborates with communities across the state to implement the program with fidelity.
Please visit https://handlewithcareoh.org for more information.

The City of Defiance Police Department has so far collaborated with Defiance City Schools, Good Samaritan School, and Holy Cross Catholic School to implement the Handle with Care program. The program helps school staff offer students who experience an adverse childhood experience (ACE) outside of school, grace at school when needed all while keeping the privacy and dignity of the child upheld. We look forward to serving our students in this way.
Handle With Care Ohio

09/04/2026

🚧 JEFFERSON STREET BRIDGE CLOSURE 🚧

The City of Defiance is reminding residents and motorists of an upcoming closure of the State Route 66 (Jefferson Street) Bridge beginning Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

The bridge is expected to remain closed for approximately 45 days while necessary bridge improvements are completed.

What to expect:

• Motorists will need to use alternate routes during the closure.
• Increased traffic and additional travel time should be expected on surrounding roadways.
• Morning and afternoon school traffic may be particularly impacted.
• Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and use caution as traffic patterns adjust.

Defiance City Schools has also notified families and staff of the closure and is preparing for potential impacts to transportation schedules.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as this important infrastructure work is completed.

🚧 Closure Begins: September 15, 2026
📅 Estimated Duration: 45 days
📍 Location: SR 66 / Jefferson Street Bridge

Please share to help spread the word!

Stay up to date on all City projects by visiting: https://cityofdefiance.com/379/City-Projects

09/01/2026

08/21/2026

🏈 Friday Night Lights are BACK!

Tonight, the Defiance Bulldogs travel to Napoleon to take on the Wildcats in the historic River Rock Rivalry! Dating back to 1916, this annual matchup celebrates more than a century of competition between two communities connected by the Maumee River—with a one-of-a-kind trophy featuring an actual river rock on the line!

📍 Napoleon High School - Charles Buckenmeyer Stadium
🕖 Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.

The City of Defiance wishes all DHS athletes the BEST of luck tonight and throughout the entire season!

Let’s come together as a community, support our student-athletes, and cheer on the Bulldogs tonight as they battle to bring the River Rock back home!

For ticket information and more, please visit: https://www.defiancecityschools.org/o/dhs/article/3083612

Go Bulldogs!

08/19/2026

Heading to the Defiance County Fair? Make your first stop Coffee with a Cop! ☕🥞

Enjoy free coffee, breakfast, and conversation with local law enforcement before taking in the day's activities.

📅 Wednesday, August 26
🕘 9:00 a.m.
📍 Defiance County Fairgrounds – Pavilion

Bring a friend and join us!

08/12/2026

School buses will be back on the roads soon. This is a great refresher on what to do when you encounter a stopped bus.

Look for DCHD at Family Fun Friday to learn more about School Bus safety, bike safety and more!
We will have FREE bike helmets, school bus squishies and so much more!
Find us in front of the Defiance Main Street and Visitors Bureau office on Clinton St. from 10a-2p
Stay safe and have fun today!

08/07/2026

Yesterday, the cadets successfully tackled the ropes course. Today, they kicked off their final morning with a pancake breakfast featuring guest speaker City Administrator Ryan Mack, followed by an awards presentation. Grace and Gregory took home the top honors for rifle and pistol shooting, while Sgt. Rubio was recognized as the most helpful instructor. The day ended with a co****le tournament and each cadet was given a certificate!

If your child, or if you know of a child, that is in grades 6-12 in Defiance or surrounding areas that would be interested in participating in the program, you can contact School Resource Officer Kunz at [email protected] for more details. 4-H Camp Palmer

08/07/2026

Today is our last Family Fun Friday event! We can't wait to see all of you! Reminders: Please come to our office at 10 am to start your adventurous day! The Scavenger Hunt lasts until 4 pm and there will be a lot of movement around the Downtown. So, local community please be aware of excess walkers and children today, thank you!

We're excited to kick off back to school season with all of you!

08/06/2026

The DPD Cadets tackled an action-packed agenda yesterday, starting with morning PT before heading back out to the range for rifle day. Cadets put their shooting skills to the test from 25 to 50 yards, practicing supported and unsupported positions from prone to kneeling. To finish out the day, they cooled off with a session of swimming, kayaking, and a fire! 4-H Camp Palmer