Cedar Rapids police chief to retire after he aged out of certification and reached severance agreement with city

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman will retire once the Cedar Rapids City Council signs off Tuesday on a $241,442.78 severance agreement with the chief, who turned 66 years old last month and aged out of his officer certification.

According to the council agenda packet, Jerman — who has led the Cedar Rapids Police Department for 10 years — is retiring from the city “due to confidential constraints necessitating his separation.” The agreement includes 12 months’ salary, accrued and unused flex leave and reimbursement of expenses.

Since March 9, Jerman has been on paid administrative leave after the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, which handles officer certifications, inquired about whether he’d stay with the city as a civilian employee. The academy’s position is that all police officer certifications expire after age 65. Jerman reached age 66 on March 4.

Neither Jerman nor the city immediately commented Monday on the agreement.

While city leaders informally explored the possibility of keeping Jerman on as a non-certified public safety director or other civilian role, unions representing Cedar Rapids law enforcement officials told City Manager Jeff Pomeranz they opposed having a civilian police department head.

While the police unions’ emails to Pomeranz indicated Jerman’s performance was not the issue, they showed some officers worried allowing a non-certified chief would create a path for a less knowledgeable future police department leader to take over.

In an email to Pomeranz from Mike Bailey, president of the Cedar Rapids Police Bargaining Union — which represents Cedar Rapids police officers and clerical personnel — Bailey wrote that the union “adamantly” opposed changing the department’s leadership structure.

“We appreciate a unique situation has arisen with Chief Jerman and his age,” Bailey wrote. “However, this unique situation should not cause the City to abandon its commitment to having the police department led by a uniformed chief.”

The Cedar Rapids Bars and Stripes Association, which represents sergeants, as well as the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents the rank and file of the department, also wrote to Pomeranz expressing similar sentiments.

Deputy Chief Tom Jonker was tapped to serve as acting police chief starting March 9. The city manager’s office has previously said he’d serve in that capacity until this matter is resolved.

City officials have not shared details on how or when they will search for a new chief.

The agreement brings to an end Jerman’s public law enforcement career, which has spanned approximately four decades. Before coming to Cedar Rapids, he served for 33 years as a police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland.

In Cedar Rapids, Jerman has maintained visibility at community events and been open to working with the community to strengthen relationships with local law enforcement. He was supportive of the Advocates for Social Justice group’s efforts to create a citizens’ police review board after George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police sparked nationwide calls for reform.

The Cedar Rapids Police Department has 212 officers and more than 60 non-sworn employees, according to the city website. Cedar Rapids’ population is about 138,000.

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