TOLEDO, Ohio — Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced Thursday that Mike Troendle will serve as the interim Toledo police chief as the city looks for a permanent replacement for outgoing chief George Kral.
While at the podium, Kapszukiewicz said Troendle is talented, sharp and at the moment, temporary. But he is in the running for the permanent position.
"For at least the next two months and perhaps longer, he will be an excellent leader of the Toledo Police Department," the mayor said.
Troendle has worked at TPD for 29 years, serving the last five as assistant chief to Kral. He has also served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
Troendle said the opportunity to guide the department he loves, even temporarily, was something he couldn't pass up.
"The men and women of our department are great officers and they need someone to step in and lead them," Troendle said. "Not just someone to step in and say, "okay guys, in six months we might have a new chief so nothing's going to change from this point forward.'"
While Troendle can't make major changes to the force as the interim chief,
he still has ideas for improvement, which range from recruitment to officer wellness, he said.
But as Troendle gets to work, the city continues a national search for a permanent chief in partnership with California-based executive search company Ralph Andersen & Associates.
"Thus far we have received nine applications, both from individuals inside the department and outside the department and community," Kapszukiewicz said.
Troendle is one of those nine candidates. And while he said he will stand by the side of whoever the mayor picks, he made clear that if the mayor asked him to take over the position permanently, he would gladly accept.
Kral's last day in office is Tuesday.
Kapszukiewicz said the search will stop accepting applications for police chief on Jan. 30 and expects to have the final decision made by March.