Year in Review: Police department restructured in 2007

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Compiled from staff reports

Tallmadge -- In 2007, the city's police department said good-bye and good luck to Chief John Kafka, who retired in May after 27 years with the force; and watched as the administrative structure of the department grew.

In April, following a five-month search, Mayor Christopher Grimm promoted Lt. Michael Duvall to the position of chief.

"I want a progressive police department and I think Mike will do a fine job of moving the department into the future," Grimm said.

Duvall has been a commissioned peace officer with the state of Ohio since 1983. He joined the Tallmadge Police Department March 17, in 1986, as a patrol officer, and was assigned to the Detective Bureau in 1991 as a vice/narcotics detective.

After a five-year tour as detective, he served as an administrative assistant to the operations commander, and was promoted to sergeant in 1997 and to lieutenant in September 2000.

Following Duvall's promotion, the department also gained a police captain -- a role which had not been filled for 21 years. Donald Zesinger, an 18-year veteran of the department, advanced from lieutenant to the rank of captain in July.

Zesinger said it was, "an honor and a privilege to be promoted to captain and to serve in a city that has a great respect for its police department."

Tallmadge has not seen a police captain since former Captain Gerald U. Knapp retired in 1986, according to Duvall and Grimm.

The captain works side by side with the chief, Grimm said.

"It's important to have an administrator besides the chief," added Duvall, "it will be an honor to work closely with the new captain to more effectively and efficiently administer one of the best small town police agencies in the state of Ohio -- the men and women of the Tallmadge Police Department."

Rounding out the advancements was the promotion of Sgt. Ron Williams to lieutenant in August. Lt. Williams is responsible for the Services Division Commander for the police department to oversee the Investigative Unit, the Communications Unit, the Records Unit and the Special Services Unit.

Other duties for Williams, who has served in Tallmadge for 18 years, include serving as public information officer, professional standards administrator and the grant writer for the department.