An era ended when Chief Walter Krasny announced his retirement on September 11, 1979. His actual retirement was to be March 1, 1980, to allow time to search for a replacement. Mayor Louis Belcher stated, “I can't tell you how much the city owes him.” Chief Krasny joined the police department on July 1, 1939, and rose through the ranks to police chief. He was promoted to chief in 1966 after Chief Barney Gainsley retired. A study of the department found, “Krasny's leadership and his unique style have brought the department through some of the most turbulent times in American law enforcement.” His retirement led to the hiring of the first chief to come from outside the department.
- Krasny Officially Named Chief of City's Police, Ann Arbor News, October 4, 1966; via Old News
Walter E. Krasny, a 27-year veteran of the Ann Arbor Police Department, is the city's new pólice chief. The City Council last night unanimously accepted the recommendation of City Administrator Guy C. Larcom Jr. that Krasny be appointed to the position to succeed Rolland J. Gainsley who retired officially today.
