‘Life’s too short:’ Coralville police chief retiring

CORALVILLE — Coralville Police Chief Shane Kron has experienced many challenges and rewards in his 34-year law enforcement career that he never would have experienced as an elementary school teacher — his original career choice.

“Police see awful stuff that piles up and can take a toll on you,” Kron told The Gazette during an interview. “We are the first responders in Coralville, and at some point, you will do CPR and some aren’t going to survive.”

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He speaks from his own experience — his first time on the streets alone after being trained in 1990 was almost his last. Kron performed CPR on a man having a heart attack. And the man died.

“I was devastated,“ Kron said. “You believe if you do CPR, you can save them. When I went home that night I had to decide whether to come back.”

He did come back, and learned that while some won’t survive, the ones who do “will send you a thank-you note and it’s worth every minute” of being in law enforcement.

Kron, 55, will retire July 31 after serving as the city’s police chief since 2017. He’s retiring early because he realized “life’s too short” after his brother suddenly died of a heart attack in March.

He said two more deaths in the department also reinforced his decision to leave early. Sgt. John Williams, who he trained in the field, had a heart attack in 2022. His administrative assistant, Karen Mutchler, died of cancer in 2020.

He wants to spend more time with his wife and four children and is looking forward to being a grandfather — both of his daughters are expecting.

Kron said he never wanted to leave in a time of crisis. But the department is running smoothly, and he has a “great” command staff and quality officers who will continue serving the community.

He said former chief, Barry Bedford, left him with a “solid foundation” and he hopes to do the same for the next chief.

Kron said he didn’t have to make any big changes in the department when he took over. He focused on making sure the department hired the “right people” who were interested in being a public servant.

The city has started a nationwide search for a new chief and is accepting applications for the position. There are about 40 employees in the department, with 36 of them officers. The job pays $126,885 to $165,103 a year, though that could be negotiable.

Early years

Kron didn’t plan a career in law enforcement. He wanted to be a teacher. But he had a college roommate who worked for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and encouraged him to do some ride-alongs.

He “loved it.”

He recalled being in the jail when a Coralville officer brought in a man who had been in a fight and had resisted arrested. “The guy had blood on him and when the officer is releasing him, he shakes the officer’s hand and says, ‘See you tonight, Jeff.’ I knew I wanted to be here where the defendants know the officers. It was a surreal experience when he shook his hand.”

Kron stayed in patrol most of his career, even after being promoted to sergeant and lieutenant, because he felt his calling was working patrol.

“The bigger the chaos, the more I excelled in a crisis situation,” Kron said. “I’ve always hated blood but when I’m in a chaotic situation and people need help and are bleeding, it doesn’t bother me.”

He was able to deal with the big car crashes or eluding situations and was able to stay calm.

Kron said it takes time to become a “good cop.” An officer can’t learn everything at the academy. He relied on mentors and senior officers to show him the way.

Mentors

One of those mentors was Bedford, who was chief for over 29 years of his 44-year career. He said Kron is a “guy who could get things done.”

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“He has good common sense, was efficient, well respected and liked and always had support from the officers,” Bedford said. “Any time I would give him a task, even if it seemed impossible, he somehow got it done,” Bedford said. “He was willing to give all he had to the job.”

Kron also has a sense of humor, which is needed to deal with the tension and pressure, Bedford said, recalling one incident of that humor:

Kron pulled a prank on a City Council member who left a blanket behind at a city fireworks event. The councilman returned to get it, but it was gone. The official was convinced it was stolen, but someone — unbeknown to him — had turned it in to the city’s lost and found.

Kron decided to have some fun, and he demanded a ransom of an extra-large bag of peanut M & M's in exchange for “Blanky.” Bedford said Kron came to the drop off for the ransom dressed up as McGruff the Crime Dog and “snatched the candy and took off.”

Lonny Pulkrabek, the retired Johnson County sheriff who grew up with Kron and often worked the streets on the same shift for their respective agencies, said Kron was a “super sharp cop on the street.”

“Very aware of everything going on, not only in his town, but he knew what the deputies were doing while working in Tiffin and North Liberty, Pulkrabek said. “He was a no- nonsense guy that absolutely doesn’t believe as chief he should be up front, but rather pushing his people from behind.”

The victims

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Kron said working on behalf of victims is what kept him going.

When a homicide happened, he always thought whether there was anything “we could have done to prevent those.” But at the end of day, he knows police work is more responsive — something has already happened by the time officers are called.

Kron recalled several murders, but said he will never forget the murder of Andrea Farrington, 20, who was fatally shot by Alexander Kozak on June 12, 2015, inside a crowded Coral Ridge Mall.

He recalled walking through the crime scene — the mall — and seeing shoes in the food court area.

“It struck me, people ran right out of their shoes because they were so scared trying to get out of the mall” as Kozak started firing, hitting Farrington three times in the back.

Kron’s voice went lower as he recalled the chaotic scene.

“I’ve never been on a homicide that made any sense,” he said. “That’s the hardest part when you’re investigating one — it’s never going to make sense.”

The Farrington murder was a “community solve” because there were so many witnesses to the crime, Kron pointed out.

“You have the satisfaction you solved it, but you can’t undo it,” Kron said. “Then you have to move on because there will be another soon.”

Regrets

Kron said he wouldn’t change how things went during his career, but does regret the times he “got it wrong.”

“I’m sure many times I got it wrong,” Kron said. “I made the best decision in the moment with the information I had.”

Kron said there will always be critics when it comes to law enforcement, but someone shouldn’t be the career “if you can’t accept criticism.”

He is more concerned about the future because the criminal justice system “is being politicized and that’s not a good thing. Those two institutions should never intersect.”

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com