TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - One of the most decorated members of the Toledo Police Department is retiring after 33 years, and it's a story you'll see only on WTOL.
Deputy Chief Don Kenny is one of dozens of experienced members of the department who have retired or plan to retire over the course of the next four years. This leaves the department with a crop of young officers with little experience.
Chief George Kral knows he has to tackle that issue head on by hiring 40 to 50 officers every year to make up for all the retirements.
"We went from a fairly old department to a young department quickly," said Kral. "You have 35 years of police work and history and experience and it's going to be a big void to fill.”
The chief is filling that void with young and hungry officers.
Retiring Deputy Chief Kenny agrees with the chief's plan to move TPD forward.
"It's good in that these young people, we have hired a lot of them since 2010, a lot of them are operational are very young and very enthusiastic. They are very much willing to lay everything on the line to get the job done," said Kenny.
The way the chief ensures people are staying just as safe as in years past, is by pairing rookies up with veterans who are eager to teach. He has also structured the academy training to recognize the age of the department.
"We're younger, but we are smarter. Our training is better, our field training program is better. Their drivers licenses may say they are in their mid-twenties, but it doesn't mean they aren't fully qualified police officers," said Kral.
