Shane Kron unanimously approved as Coralville’s next police chief

CORALVILLE - A Coralville Police Department veteran received a unanimous nod from Coralville City Council to confirm his appointment as the city's next police chief.

The council voted 5-0 to approve Shane Kron during Tuesday night's regular meeting. After he was sworn in, Kron officially replaced longtime Chief Barry Bedford, who retired earlier this year. City Administrator Kelly Hayworth, who was responsible for the nomination, pointed to Kron's experience leading the department's emergency response team as well as his longstanding relationships with other area law enforcement agencies as qualifications for the job.

'I think while we had four quality finalists for the chief's job, in my opinion, Shane stood out because he was part of the quality team that we have. He knows the city. He knows our goals. He knows our vision,” said Mayor John Lundell.

Council Member Tom Gill said he liked the fact that the city's next chief come from within Coralville's own department.

'What I am pleased about is that we hired from within. That's a sign that we have a good department, a good strong department, that we really don't have to go outside of the department to get good people,” Gill said.

Kron earned a master's degree in criminal justice administration from Columbia Southern University. He also holds a bachelor's degree in public administration from Upper Iowa University. He has been at the department since he was hired by the city in 1990,

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