North Liberty police unions vote no confidence in chief

The North Liberty Police Department Officers Union and Sergeants Union released a letter Friday saying they have no confidence in Chief Diane Venenga.

“Despite our best efforts to work collaboratively and constructively, the leadership has consistently fallen short of the standards expected of a police chief. We believe that the continued tenure of Chief Venenga jeopardizes the integrity and effectiveness of our department and undermines public trust in law enforcement,” the letter states.

The unions met Sunday to address “growing and consistent” concerns with working conditions and to complete a satisfaction survey, the letter states. The survey results, which are included with the letter, show that about 90 percent of officers gave Venenga a 1 out of 5 rating for “Creating team environment,” “Promotes positive attitude within the department,” and “Has a thorough understanding of NLPD issues.”

After the survey was administered Sunday, the unions unanimously voted no confidence in Venenga’s ability to lead the department, according to the letter.

“Both unions felt this no confidence vote was necessary after a multitude of attempts throughout several years had yielded no results in regard to correcting issues within the department,” the letter states.

Venenga forwarded a Gazette request for comment to North Liberty spokesman Nick Bergus, who said the union letter was presented Sunday night to North Liberty’s mayor, City Council and administrative staff.

“The document the unions provided offered no explanation. Prior to Sunday, no leadership concerns had been brought to the attention of the Chief of Police Diane Venenga, City Administrator Ryan Heiar or Mayor Chris Hoffman,” Bergus said in an email.

The letter said that in 2017, a similar survey was conducted and Venenga promised to make positive changes in the department, but no adjustments have been made and “those who voiced questions regarding the situation were often met with hostility and retaliation from Chief Venenga.”

The letter listed a number of specific grievances, including poor communication, ambiguous time-off policies and not hiring or retaining enough officers.

Bergus said the city is conducting an internal review after receiving the letter.

“The city takes employee concerns seriously,” he said. “Accountability is important for maintaining community trust and a disciplined police force. City Administrator Ryan Heiar and Mayor Chris Hoffman remain confident in Chief Venenga’s leadership.”

Venenga has been with the department since it started in 1999. She was one of two officers initially hired there. She has been the full-time chief since 2013.

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