CNS –
Noah Dressel was 4 when his father, Toledo police Detective Keith Dressel, a 13-year department veteran working in the vice unit, was shot and killed in the line of duty in North Toledo on Feb. 21, 2007.
Now 21, his son became one of the 28 newest officers to graduate from the 71st Toledo Police Academy during a ceremony Friday at the Owens Community College Center for Fine and Performing Arts. About 300 people attended.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to do this. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine,” Officer Dressel said after the ceremony.
A 2021 Clay High School graduate, he was a forklift operator at Menards in Oregon before signing up for the police academy, he said.
Officer Dressel said the memory of his father “was absolutely a driving factor” in his decision to become a Toledo police officer.
“He was honorable, courageous,” Officer Dressel said. “He made everybody laugh in every room he went to. He was honest. Indeed, he worked his best to do the right thing in every circumstance.”
In his acknowledgment address, Toledo police Chief Michael Troendle told the new officers that “service is not just duty” but also “a calling, a privilege, and a daily responsibility, to uphold honor, fairness, and respect.”
“As you move forward in your careers, remember that every action you take and every decision you make will impact others,” Chief Troendle said. “This profession is a reflection of your core values, and your legacy will be defined by how you live up to those values every day.”
“There will be moments that test your resolve, but I assure you, every sacrifice will be worth it when you remember the higher purpose,” the police chief said, addressing the new officers.
Asked after the ceremony how he would want to make his mark in the city’s police force, Officer Dressel said he was not sure yet.
“I just want to leave this place a better place. I’ll do that. I’m not sure [how] yet. I want to make a difference in people’s lives, though. … I just want to give somebody that positive perspective on police and make their lives better.”
Officer Dressel said he reflected on his father a lot over the past 7½ months of training.
Two Suspects Arrested After Police Chase, Alleged Collision, and Theft from Tops
“There were times when it got hard, and that was what I had to remind myself of,” Officer Dressel said. “That was what kept me going through all the hard times anytime I had doubt. That was what kept me going.”
Speaking to the class shortly before the presentation of badges and the oath of office, Toledo police Lt. Kevan Toney, commander of the academy, listed the hurdles the soon-to-be-sworn-in cadets had overcome on their way to graduation.
Over the past 32 weeks, they surpassed the state minimum 740 hours of basic peace officer training with an additional 540 hours, Lieutenant Toney said in his address to the class.
Their training also included more than 150 hours of scenario-based virtual-reality training, 96 hours of field observation, 16 hours of community service, 98 hours of firearms training, and 70 hours of defensive tactics training.
Additionally, they each did a total of about 20,000 pushups, ran 90 miles, and were subjected to Taser exposure.
Five women and four Black and a couple of Hispanic cadets were among the classmates. After a 1974 court agreement mandated more racially diverse hiring for Toledo police, the department listed increasing officer diversity as a goal.
The 71st class also continues the department’s efforts to achieve Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz’s 2021 objective to increase the size of the force to 700 officers. When the new officers started their training in June, that number was 599.
Also graduating Friday was Travis Ernsberger of Toledo Fire and Rescue Department, who became the city’s newest fire investigator.
Mayor Kapszukiewicz was not present at the ceremony.