Waterloo Police Department (Iowa)
The Waterloo Police Department is the municipal police department for the city of Waterloo, Iowa. The department currently consists of a staff of 120 sworn officers and 11 civilians.
Since 1868 there have been 12 Marshals and 21 Police Chiefs for the City of Waterloo. The former Chief, Dan Trelka has been with the department since September 2009 and was appointed Director of Safety Services, the following year.
The mission of the Waterloo Police Department is to protect, serve, work together with the community to prevent crime and enhance the quality of life in the city's neighborhoods.
The department is located at 715 Mulberry Street, and shares a building with the Mayor, City Attorney, City Clerk, and Code Enforcement. The department patch, as well as the livery for their cruiser units is unique within the state of Iowa as it incorporates a Red Griffin within the scheme.
History of Waterloo police chiefs
There has been 37 police chiefs for the Waterloo Police Department. Over the course of time, the departmental commanders have been known as Marshall, Chief of Police and Police Chief. This is a preference of each commander.| Tenure | Name | Title |
| 2020-Present | Joel Fitzgerald | Police Chief |
| 2010–2019 | Daniel J. Trelka | Police Chief |
| 2000–2010 | Thomas J. Jennings | Police Chief |
| 1990–2000 | Bernal Koehrsen, Jr | Police Chief |
| 1985–1990 | Roger Shook | Police Chief |
| 1982–1984 | Kenneth Huck | Police Chief |
| 1980–1982 | Junior Grimm | Police Chief |
| 1978–1980 | Frank J. Bemisdorfer | Police Chief |
| 1970–1978 | Robert L. Beener | Chief of Police |
| 1961–1970 | Robert S. Wright | Chief of Police |
| 1946–1961 | Harry J. Krieg | Chief of Police |
| 1944–1946 | Ralph J. Davis | Chief of Police |
| 1934–1943 | Hugh R. Crumrine | Police Chief |
| 1930–1933 | F.M. Shores | Police Chief |
| 1926–1929 | Charles Mohlis | Police Chief |
| 1924–1925 | E.A. Leighton | Police Chief |
| 1921–1923 | P.E. Walker | Police Chief |
| 1920–1921 | H.H. Young | Police Chief |
| 1919–1920 | George Weilein | Police Chief |
| 1917–1919 | F.A. Sporle | Police Chief |
| 1916–1917 | J.D. Caldwell | Police Chief |
| 1912–1915 | E.A. Leighton | Police Chief |
| 1910–1911 | W.T. Dinneen | Police Chief |
| 1908–1909 | E.A. Leighton | Police Chief |
| 1905–1907 | J.N. Sweitzer | Marshal |
| 1901–1904 | O.H. Simmerling | Marshal |
| 1893–1900 | J.F. Klingaman | Marshal |
| 1888–1892 | S.M. Hoff | Marshal |
| 1886–1887 | M.W. Gipe | Marshal |
| 1883–1885 | W.C. Munger | Marshal |
| 1882-1882 | D.E. Hume | Marshal |
| 1881-1881 | Charles Mantle | Marshal |
| 1878–1880 | H.W. Jenney | Marshal |
| 1876–1877 | H.H. Saunders | Marshal |
| 1874–1875 | J.P. Evans | Marshal |
| 1873-1873 | James Ellis | Marshal |
| 1869–1872 | J.P. Evans | Marshal |
| 1868-1868 | S.M. Hoff | Marshal |
Fallen officers
In the history of the Waterloo Police Department, six officers have been killed in the line of duty.| Officer | Date of death | Cause of death | Details |
| Gunfire | Patrolman Widmann was shot and killed by burglars while walking his beat. No suspect was ever apprehended. | ||
| Gunfire | Detective Goodenbour was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man for forging a check at a local store. The suspect was shot and killed by Detective Goodenbour's partner. | ||
| Motorcycle Accident | Patrolman Margretz was killed in a motorcycle accident on Reber Avenue, near Marsh Street, while responding to a call. He was thrown from the motorcycle and sustained serious injuries. He was transported to Presbyterian Hospital where he died approximately one hour later. Patrolman Margretz was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War I. He had served with the Waterloo Police Department for a total of about 2 years on two separate occasions. He was survived by his wife. | ||
| Gunfire | Patrolman William Mehlhorn was shot and killed with his own weapon, a.357-caliber Colt revolver, while attempting to arrest a burglary suspect. The suspect was shot and wounded by another officer. The suspect's wound caused him to be paralyzed until his death six years later. Patrolman Mehlhorn was survived by his wife and four children. | ||
| Gunfire | Killed with Officer Hoing. See description below. | ||
| Gunfire | Officer Hoing and Officer Wayne Rice were shot and killed after responding to a noise complaint for the second time in one night. As Officer Hoing called for backup the suspect struck Officer Rice on the head and gained control of his service weapon. The suspect then shot Officer Rice once. Officer Hoing was able to return fire but was struck four times. Officer Rice succumbed to his injuries at the scene and Officer Hoing succumbed to injuries the following day at a local hospital. Two days after the murders Deputy William Mullikin, of the Black Hack County Sheriff's Department, was killed in an automobile accident while responding to a reported sighting of the suspect. The suspect was apprehended and sentenced to two life terms in prison with no chance for parole. Officer Hoing had been with the agency for seven years and was survived by his wife and two sons. |