TOLEDO, Ohio — April 28 marked the start of a new era for the Toledo Police Department.
The department held a ceremony Friday, promoting nine officers into various new roles; from patrolmen being upgraded to sergeants, to
captains officially joining Chief Mike Troendle's command staff.
"There's a lot of satisfaction, there's a lot of feeling of accomplishment, a lot of pride," Troendle said.
Before he handed them their new badges, Troendle gave a speech to the officers. He called on them to not just accept these promotions to become middle managers and time counters but to continue striving as leaders.
"We need leaders, alright? That's why you guys were chosen. To be a leader. The department can have people that are managers and people that are just in positions, and that doesn't get us moving forward," Troendle said. "The goal we want is to provide the best product, the best service to the people that are our bosses. And when I say that, I mean the people in our community."
The biggest appointments were the roles of assistant chief and two deputy chiefs, who are officers that will help define how the department will be run for years to come.
Deputy Chief Susan Surgo was promoted to assistant chief and Cpts. Jay Pachell and Kevin Braun were appointed as the new deputy chiefs.
Troendle said his picks were based on trust and officers that reflected common goals.
"The new vision for the department starts today. The new direction starts today, so it's exciting to be part of those conversations," newly-appointed Deputy Chief Braun said. "I have the utmost trust in the chief, so I'm excited about those changes."
That vision was something Troendle was happy to outline.
"Right now, you know, it's no secret, we've had some violent weeks, we've had some violent years," Troendle said. "We need our officers out there, being in the community, and being out there interrupting the violence, and making sure we can be having a happy, safe, enjoyable, livable city."
The chief says that means more officers out of their cars, rebuilding relationships with community leaders, and healing the divide between police and the people.
But as these officers move into leadership roles in Tronedle's department, he says he and his command staff can't do it alone.
"Over the last several years, there's been a breakdown a little bit," Troendle said. "But we're going to rebuild and you guys are all going to be an important part in that."
However, with all but two of the officers rising through the ranks being white, the promotion ceremony only crystallized complaints from organizations like the African American Patrolman's Association, which says the department doesn't reflect Toledo's demographics.
Troendle said it's something he's noticed as well and that he has hired a new diversity captain to work with people of color within the department to encourage them to take the advancement test as well, with the hopes of developing a more diverse police force.