Marion residents meet with police chief candidates

Marion residents were able to meet Wednesday evening with four candidates who the city has identified to fill the position of police chief, vacated by Chief Mike Kitsmiller when he retired in the spring.

The candidate who is ultimately selected will lead the department of 48 sworn officers, 10 dispatchers and six civilian employees.

Residents who attended the open house wanted to know about the candidates’ views on various topic surrounding police work, ranging from how they would prioritize budgets and spending, to their views on working with youth and policing in schools, and their thoughts on police review boards and transparency.

Bob Anderson, one of the attendees, said he hasn’t taken much of an interest in local politics and positions before, but he came out Wednesday because he was curious to find out who might be leading the police department next.

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“It’s an important presence in the community,” he said.

Attendees were asked to fill out a survey indicating which of the candidates would be their top choice for the position, and why, as well as what concerns they may have about candidates. City leaders will consider the survey responses as well as information gathered during candidate interviews while making the final decision.

One of the four candidates, Chad Nott, 54, is the current interim chief at the department, and the only candidate from the Marion department. Douglas Riniker, 51, another candidate, is currently a colonel and chief deputy at the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. The others come from farther away, but still within the Midwest. Jeremy Sprague, 46, is a lieutenant at the Des Moines Police Department, and Schonella Stewart, 51, is a commander at the Oak Park Police Department in Illinois.

Chad Nott

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Nott has been with the Marion Police Department for the entirety of his 29 years in law enforcement and has a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Northern Iowa.

He has worked in various roles in the department, including as a patrol officer, field training officer, hostage negotiation commander, crisis intervention team commander, and member of the department’s special response team, according to a candidate biography distributed by the city.

Nott said his main priority as chief would be to focus on improving recruitment and retention in the department, especially by working on officer well-being and mental health.

“It’s important to me that the citizens here and the residents are taken care of, that we’re here for them when they call, and that we’re going to keep doing what we have to do to keep this community safe,” he said.

Douglas Riniker

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Riniker has worked for the Linn County Sheriff’s Office for more than three decades, and has held multiple leadership positions, overseeing strategic planning, financial management, internal investigations, tactical command, and public outreach.

He has a Master of Public Administration in criminal justice from Purdue University Global, a bachelor’s degree from Kaplan University, and an associate’s degree from Hawkeye Community College. He also has completed several other leadership certifications, including FBI programs, according to his bio.

Riniker said his first priority coming in as a new chief would be to do an assessment of the department and evaluate what is being done well and what opportunities there are for improvement, and then work with officers to make those changes.

“One thing I know about cops is they don’t suffer in silence. If you ask them questions, generally speaking, they’re probably going to tell you the answer, but you have to have the culture that you can have these candid conversations,” Riniker said.

Schonella Stewart

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Stewart has been with the Oak Park Police Department since she started her law enforcement career in 2006, and before that she worked in social work. She has a Master of Social Work degree from Chicago State University and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in criminal justice from Barber-Scotia College.

She has worked in various roles with the Oak Park department, including working as a homicide task force member, Internet Crimes Against Children task force member, FBI hijacking task force member, and human trafficking task force member. She has also worked as a commander of community policing and investigations, her bio states.

Stewart said as chief she would work to to support the strategic plan and goals previously outlined for the department, including working to improve recruitment and retention, and officer morale. She said that officer wellness, policy oversight and mentorship are some of the main priorities she focuses on in law enforcement leadership.

“I don’t believe that anybody should be working in a silo. Together we can reach the vision and strategic plan that was incorporated and approved by the council members,” Stewart said. “I think the police department is doing a great job right now. I think my priority is not making assumptions. I’ve been listening to the officers that I have met with, so at the beginning I would be a diligent observer.”

Jeremy Sprague

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Sprague has been with the Des Moines Police Department for 19 of his 25 years in law enforcement. As a police lieutenant, he currently manages the department’s $85 million budget. He has previously worked as a patrol officer, detective, hostage/crisis negotiator, and sergeant with the department, and has directed patrol operations, fatal traffic crash investigations, and sensitive cases involving child deaths, internet crimes against children, and sex abuse cases.

He has a Master of Public Administration degree and a bachelor’s degree in emergency management administration, and has won multiple awards in his career and spoken at multiple law enforcement events about employee wellness and resiliency. He also developed Iowa’s first public safety peer support program within the Des Moines Police Department, and established the Peer Support Foundation, an organization that supports first responder mental health nationwide, according to his bio.

Sprague said one of his priorities for the department would be to focus on community policing by ensuring that officers are making good connections with community members.

“Community policing is not a program. It actually has to be instilled in getting our officers out there. They do a great job already, but can we take it to the next level?” Sprague said. “Building those relationships, I think that’s really important.”

Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com