Toledo Police Chief Michael Troendle to Retire Nov. 1, 2026

Toledo Police Chief Michael Troendle will retire effective Nov. 1, 2026, and Assistant Chief Kevin Braun is expected to become the city’s next police chief, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced July 22.

The change will move leadership of the Toledo Police Department from a chief who has spent 32 years with the agency to Braun, a department veteran with more than 25 years of service. Braun has previously served as an assistant chief and was named Troendle’s successor by the mayor.

The transition date gives the city a defined point for the department’s leadership change. Troendle’s retirement takes effect Nov. 1, and Braun is expected to take over that day.

A succession from within the department

Troendle’s career included assignments in field operations, investigations, SWAT, intelligence and special operations, according to reporting by The Blade. Those assignments span several of the department’s major operational and specialized areas.

Braun has more than 25 years with Toledo police and is a Toledo native, according to 13abc. His training includes the FBI National Academy. His selection places a longtime member of the department in line to lead it after Troendle’s retirement rather than bringing in an outside successor.

The announcement establishes who is expected to lead the department next, but it does not set out a detailed transition plan or a full policy agenda for Braun. Those details will matter as the incoming chief moves from assistant chief to the department’s top position.

Change comes amid midyear crime report

The leadership announcement follows Toledo’s July midyear crime update. The city reported that homicides fell 25% during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.

That figure is a year-over-year comparison for the first six months of each year, not a full-year result. It provides current public-safety context for the succession, but it does not show that the reduction was caused solely by Troendle, the department or any single policy.

For Toledo residents and city government, the immediate significance of the announcement is continuity at the top of the police department. Troendle will remain chief until the November retirement date, while Braun is positioned to assume leadership after more than two decades inside the agency.

The transition also creates a point for the city to evaluate how existing work in operations, investigations and specialized units will continue under new leadership. Braun’s priorities and approach will become clearer as he prepares to take over, but the public announcement identified Nov. 1 as the date for the expected change.

Until then, Troendle’s tenure and Braun’s long departmental experience provide the backdrop for a planned leadership handoff rather than an immediate change in command. The city’s midyear homicide report will remain an important part of the public-safety context as Toledo approaches the transition.