Toledo Names Kevin Braun as Next Police Chief
Toledo will have a new police chief this fall after Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced July 22 that Chief Michael Troendle plans to retire and Assistant Chief Kevin Braun will succeed him.
Troendle’s retirement is scheduled to take effect Nov. 1, 2026. Braun is expected to lead the Toledo Police Department after that date, creating a planned change at the top of the city’s police command.
The announcement gives Toledo a named successor months before the change becomes effective. It also points to an internal succession: Braun is currently an assistant chief and was one of six internal finalists considered for the chief’s position in 2023.
A planned transition in police leadership
Troendle will remain chief until his retirement takes effect, according to the announced schedule. Braun’s selection means the next chief will already be familiar with the department and its operations rather than arriving as an outside appointment.
The public announcement establishes Nov. 1 as the key date for the change in leadership. City officials have not announced additional command appointments or described a more detailed handoff schedule. Whether other command-level personnel changes will follow has not been disclosed.
For residents, the transition will change who is responsible for setting priorities and overseeing the department’s daily public-safety work. Braun will take on that responsibility after Troendle’s retirement.
Change follows mid-year crime report
The leadership announcement came after Toledo released its 2026 mid-year crime statistics earlier in July. The city reported that homicides fell 25% during the first half of 2026 compared with the first half of 2025.
The city also said its 2026 Fourth of July celebration took place without public-safety incidents. Toledo officials cited continued enforcement and community partnerships as part of the city’s public-safety work.
The homicide figure is a measure of one crime category and does not establish that every type of crime declined. It does provide recent context for the leadership change, as Braun prepares to take over a department operating amid the city’s ongoing effort to reduce violent crime and maintain public confidence.
What happens next
Troendle’s retirement date is the next confirmed milestone in the transition. Until Nov. 1, he is scheduled to continue serving as Toledo’s police chief, while Braun remains the designated successor.
The change will place Braun in charge after a selection process that he previously reached as one of six internal finalists in 2023. His upcoming promotion links the department’s current command structure with its next leadership phase.
That timing also gives the city a defined point at which responsibility for the department is expected to shift. The next chief will inherit the work of tracking crime trends, continuing enforcement and community partnerships, and leading the department’s public-safety response in Toledo.
Sources
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