Two candidates have been announced as finalists for the position of Cedar Falls Police Chief. The Police Chief hiring process began in early June 2022. The City received seven total applicants for the position. One applicant withdrew from consideration. Of the six remaining applicants, four met the qualifications for the position. Following a Civil Service review period on September 21, Mark Howard and Jeff Sitzmann have been selected as the finalists. Both candidates are veteran supervisors of the Cedar Falls Police Department.
The hiring list will be received and filed by the Cedar Falls City Council on October 3.
The finalists will complete additional interviews involving local law enforcement, co-workers, and the community including a public meet and greet event which is expected to take place on October 11 and 12. Additional details on that event will be released in the upcoming weeks.
The Director of Public Safety is expected to make a recommendation to the Mayor and City Administrator in late October. The City will continue to keep the community updated on the process.
Captain Mark Howard
- Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, IA)
- Sergeant, Iowa National Guard: 1986-1999
- School of Police Staff and Command, Northwestern University Center for Public Safety (Evanston, IL)
- Police Officer; Waverly Police Department: 1997-2007
- Police Officer, Lieutenant, Public Safety Captain, and currently Acting Police Chief; Cedar Falls Public Safety: 2007-Present
Captain Jeff Sitzmann
- Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Iowa State University
- School of Police Staff and Command, Northwestern University Center for Public Safety (Evanston, IL)
- Woodbury County Correctional Officer: 1995-1996
- Police Officer, Lieutenant, Public Safety Captain, and currently Administrative Captain; Cedar Falls Public Safety: 1996-Present