As many parts of the nation deal with tension between police and citizens, newly sworn-in Toledo Chief of Police George Kral promises to “walk the talk,” and said he is eager to make community engagement and trust his immediate priorities.

Kral, 48, was promoted Jan. 5 by Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins in a ceremony at One Government Center, with Kral’s wife Teresa and two adult sons standing by.

“Wow, this is arguably the most humbling moment of my professional life,” said Kral, who received a standing ovation inside a packed City Council chamber.

Kral is the 34th person to serve as chief of Toledo Police Department (TPD)since 1867, although the position has changed hands 40 times via acting chiefs and some who served more than once, according to Sgt. Joe Heffernan, TPD public information officer.

Kral’s promotion does not become official until City Council approves it, and it has one year in which to do so. Both Heffernan and Stacy Weber, city public information officer, expect that to happen sometime this year, as there are several other city directors who need confirmation, and all will likely happen at the same time.

“I’ve been wanting this position for a long time,” Kral said afterward, adding that he hopes to serve in this role for nine to 10 years.

From Beantown to T-Town

The Boston-raised Kral came to Toledo in 1987, joined TPD in 1990 and began steadily working his way through the ranks.

He was promoted to sergeant in 1995, lieutenant in 2006, captain in 2011 and deputy chief one year ago. He received degrees from the University of Toledo, University of Phoenix and Tiffin University.

The son of a World War II Navy veteran, Kral also served in the Navy — 1984-87, plus four more years in the reserves — and it was during his time in San Diego that he met his future wife, Teresa, a Toledo native.

“One of the conditions (of the marriage) was that we move to her hometown,” Kral said.

It was during his service working temporary stints in shore patrol that he realized he liked protecting people. As soon as Toledo offered the civil service test, he jumped at the opportunity. Even then, he knew becoming chief was his mission.

“To be honest, ever since I was in the police academy, I always thought that being the chief would be the ultimate way to pay back the community,” he said.

Moton transition

Collins, who retired from TPD after 27 years, said he first noticed Kral’s character and potential as a fellow officer in the late 1980s when they met during a disciplinary hearing at which both testified.

“I knew he had the tools then,” Collins said.

Knowing former Chief William Moton had been eyeing retirement, Collins wanted a succession plan where Moton could mentor Kral, and that’s exactly what occurred over the past year.

Kral learned a lot during his one-on-one time with Moton, but what was the best advice he received?

“Probably not to try to do it all myself,” Kral said. “Coming up this past year in 2014, [Moton] allowed me to assemble a leadership and management team that is fantastic.”

Deputy Chief James O’Bryant has spent 29 years with TPD. He praised Moton, who spent one year at the helm, for “bringing the gap” between administrations.

“He didn’t come in and tear everything down and create new,” O’Bryant said. “He capitalized on the good things we had been doing, made sure we continued on that track and provided great leadership for that year he was here.”

Colleagues react

Sgt. Mike McGee was one of Kral’s first sergeants when Kral worked the North End around 1993, and said Kral is intelligent, well-rounded and adept at police work.

“You want to see somebody from the department take the helm,” McGee said, explaining that current staff intimately know and understand the department’s history and tradition better than someone hired from outside. “We’re family.”

Lt. Todd Miller has only worked with Kral for about a year, but already believes in him.

“He’s got a lot of character,” Miller said. “He wants to do what’s right. What he said when he gave his speech, about promotions are a lot of nepotism, the ‘good old boys’ club, he’s not like that. I think he honestly wants to find the best person for the position and he just wants to do a good job. I believe in him 100 percent. He’s a very truthful person. He’s got a lot of integrity.”

Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp has known Kral for many years and said the city and county will continue to work closely.

“He has vision, which is absolutely necessary to have success,” Tharp said. “He knows that there’s so much information within the ranks and he’ll reach down and gather that information and ask for input from all the officers and staff he has working for him. That’s one of the many reasons he’ll be successful. We’re lucky to have him as a police chief.”

Kral’s goals

Kral thanked his predecessors for their push for technology, saying Toledo has the “best crime analysis unit in the United States.” He wants to continue employing new technology, using his officers’ expertise more, and empowering the community to create partnerships and foster trust. Kral has already staged meetings with various community groups and plans to schedule more.

“Trust is a key,” Kral said. “If there’s a distrust between the citizens and this department, Toledo will never realize its true potential.”

Kral believes there is a level of trust already there, and offered assurance that he would treat every person with dignity and respect. He knows there will be issues, he said, but promised to share information, and learn from his mistakes.

Having wanted to be chief for a long time, he already has a clear vision of an ideal TPD.

“A department that racially mirrors the city, a low crime rate and a citizen base that is trusting and supportive of its police department,” he said.

National tension

During his remarks at the promotion, Collins commented on the strained relations between New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York Police Department, calling the situation “embarrassing” and “unfortunate,” while stating that de Blasio has “never spent one hour in the shoes of a law enforcement officer.”

“Being a police officer today is probably one of the most challenging positions a person can have,” Collins said. “[Officers] have the toughest job in the world. We are the peacemakers.”

Kral was former Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre’s administrative sergeant when Navarre served as deputy chief, and Navarre said he believes Kral is taking over at the right moment.

“The police chief has to walk a very delicate line because you’ve got very strong feelings on the police side and you’ve got very strong feelings on the community side,” said Navarre, now chief of police in Oregon. “The mayor of New York, in the eyes of the rank and file, has stepped across that line and has taken sides, and that puts the police chief in a horrible position. George recognizes that. You heard that in his remarks [Jan. 5]. I think he put a lot of emphasis on the importance of keeping the community apprised of what is going on.”

The future

Kral acknowledged the difficulties his profession places on family life, and joked to his wife that his promotion would be his last. Though he still loves the seafood Boston offers, Toledo has been his home for a long time.

“Nowadays, law enforcement is law enforcement,” he said. “You just tailor and benchmark the same policies in the city you’re working.”

And if his oath wasn’t enough, Kral offered the mayor one last, simple pledge.

“I’d like to thank the mayor for this opportunity,” Kral said. “I will not let you down.”

Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Sarah Ottney contributed to this report.

Conversation surrounding ProMedica’s controversial plan to build a parking garage on public park space Downtown is intensifying as Toledo City Council prepares to decide if it will allow the project to move forward.

Area residents and local community leaders filled Council chambers Jan. 6 to hear and discuss the health care company’s  plan to build the structure in Promenade Park on Summit Street.

Robin Whitney, vice president of property acquisition and development at ProMedica, gave a presentation to Council’s Youth, Parks, Recreation, Community Relations and Education committee centering on the company’s plan to build a six-story parking structure in the southwest corner of the park. The structure — which would occupy 14 percent of the park’s surface area and 120 feet of the park’s 500 feet of frontage along Summit Street — is a key part of ProMedica’s $40 million plan to move up to 1,000 employees into the former Toledo Edison Steam Plant and KeyBank building Downtown. Since the meeting Jan. 6, ProMedica officials have stated future phases could bring as many as 2,500 employees Downtown.

A group of protesters gathered outside One Government Center prior to the meeting to express opposition to ProMedica’s plan to build the structure at the park.

Dave Shugar of Maumee held a sign reading “Don’t Park on our Park.”

“This is our heritage, this is our town,” he said. “If we don’t protect it now, it’s lost forever. … If the [proposed parking garage] is a deal breaker for them, they’re not negotiating in good faith with the Toledo community, they’re not being fair to us.”

In her presentation to Council, Whitney said, “We believe that this campus we’re talking about in Downtown Toledo is going to be a wonderful addition to our community. It’s going to be truly transformative — not only to what we think we can do for Downtown and the community, but for ProMedica as well.”

The plan will take administrative employees from 17 different locations — largely suburban — and put them Downtown.

Whitney said the location of the parking garage is important for matters of proximity and safety of employees and visitors.

“We looked at some other suburban opportunities — and there are benefits to that — but we really think that the community revitalization component of coming Downtown really puts this over the top as our best solution,” she said.

Following Whitney’s presentation, Council members had the opportunity to ask questions and make statements about the plan.

“I’m so excited about the opportunity this presents for our city, I can barely contain myself,” said Councilwoman Lindsay Webb. “This is the largest revitalization this city has seen in certainly the last decade, maybe two, and maybe my lifetime.”

Webb said she understands ProMedica’s concern for employees’ safety.

“We have a long way to go in terms of perception related to safety in Downtown Toledo,” she said, noting a recent walk she took to an event at the Valentine Theatre.

“I had my two young sons with me, and I did not feel safe — I did not feel safe. That’s a reality,” she said.

Webb said that people not feeling safe Downtown will diminish the odds of them returning and spending more money or moving their business there.

“It is a concern, and I don’t want to dance around it,” she said.

Members of the public were then given a chance to voice their opinion on the matter, with a majority saying they are in favor of ProMedica moving its headquarters Downtown but are opposed to building the garage at the park.

Elenore Weber moved back to Toledo a year ago after living in New York City for 30 years. She lives Downtown and said she has never felt unsafe there.

“Promenade Park is my front yard and it’s my backyard,” she said. “We use Promenade Park for exercising, for relaxing, reading, listening to the birds and especially taking in the beautiful view of the Maumee River. … Downtown Toledo looks like a giant parking lot already — it really does. The last thing we need is to have another parking lot.”

Wendy Gramza, president of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, spoke in favor of ProMedica’s plan.

“As you know, ProMedica is proposing to make a $40 million investment in Toledo by moving their corporate headquarters with about 1,000 jobs to Downtown Toledo, with more than half of these employees being new to the city of Toledo. It kind of seems like I should be able to just stop there, but I won’t. … It’s important to remember that these numbers do not include the strong likelihood that other companies, shops and restaurants will come Downtown to support these new employees.”

Bill Thomas, president of the Downtown Toledo Development Corporation, said suggestions to use other parking garages or build one near other buildings are not considering the long-term success of Downtown.

“If you go to the lot behind Fort Industry Square (south of Promenade Park), if we put up a really big parking structure there, we would lose the ability to be able to redevelop that space. That’s great space, prime for redevelopment.

In an interview with Toledo Free Press prior to the meeting, Thomas called ProMedica’s proposal “a beautiful plan.” Turning down ProMedica’s offer to spend money on developing the park would be shortsighted, he said.

“We need infrastructure put in Promenade Park. We’ve waited 35 years for infrastructure at Promenade Park — we can’t even keep pools open. There’s no chance the city is going to develop Promenade Park the way we need it,” Thomas said. “People say, ‘Well, you just go walk.’ Well, the problem is that our competition is the suburbs, and in the suburbs parking is right next door,” he said.

After the meeting, Whitney stopped short of calling the proposed parking garage at Promenade Park a “deal breaker” to moving Downtown but firmly stated the company feels it is by far the best option.

“I think we’re very clear and unwavering that we need safe, convenient parking. So far, this is the only solution that we have found that fits our needs. … There are ideas, but the ability to really do those and not jeopardize something else or even just get site control, I haven’t found any solutions that meets all those needs. At this point, we’re pretty focused on this solution being the right one. I think we’ve explored all the options that were addressed or brought up today,” she said.

Council will further discuss ProMedica’s plan to move Downtown at 1 p.m. Jan. 14 in its chambers at One Government Center.