TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Friday was graduation day for the twenty-eight cadets in the Toledo Police Academy.
The new class raises the number of police officers on Toledo streets to 602.
Another forty will graduate in the fall.
Chief George Kral says the ideal force size for him is 700.
"We need classes of about forty for the next three years to get to where we really should be," said Chief Kral.
The graduation ceremony was a family affair for the Krals.
George Kral Jr. is now following in the footsteps of his proud family.
Chief Kral says he never encouraged his son to pursue a career in law enforcement.
It was his own decision.
"He graduated from Xavier University and came and said 'I want to be a police officer.' I didn't try to talk him out of it. I left that decision up to him,' said Chief Kral.
The younger Kral looked to his father as a role model when he was making his decision.
"I always wanted to help people. And then I had my dad as an example and I saw what kind of work you could do as a police officer and thought it was the best career for me," said the junior Kral.
Teresa Kral is the proud mother.
She's a little more nervous about her son pounding the beat now than when her husband was on the streets.
"Police are right out there on that line. People don't seem to be as caring as they used to be, but here in Toledo, I can honestly say I'm excited because we don't have that," said Teresa.
The cadets still have to undergo two weeks of intensive scenario situations developed by field training officers.
They'll officially hit the streets on June 2nd.
