CITY OF DES MOINES, IOWA
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The City of Des Moines, Iowa covers 80 square miles with a population of about 198,000 citizens. The Des Moines Core-Based statistical area which includes adjoining counties and cities is comprised of a population of about 504,000. Approximately 65,000 citizens travel to the downtown business area daily. Des Moines is a major center for the insurance industry and also has a sizeable financial services and publishing business base.
The City is also the hub for the quadrennial presidential caucuses with the next round occurring in 2008. It is the home of the annual State Fair each August and is the host to numerous conventions and trade shows.
The Department has had two Chiefs in the last 20 years and the incumbent Chief, William McCarthy, is retiring after 37 years of service. The Des Moines Police Department is composed of 380 officers and 126 non-sworn personnel. The annual budget is slightly over $52 million for FY ’08. There are six bureaus under the supervision of the Chief of Police: the rank of Major supervises each Bureau which supports a variety of lesser ranks from Captain down to Sergeant.
The Des Moines Police Department is committed to the concept of community policing and is dedicated to a cooperative, spirited partnership with the fifty-one designated neighborhoods in the City of Des Moines. The Department utilizes a neighborhood-based service delivery program to provide supervisory assistance to a majority of those neighborhoods along with numerous other outreach programs. 77% of residents are satisfied with the overall quality of police protection and the Detective Bureau has an annual clearance rate for violent and property crimes that exceeds the national average.
The Department is a leader in the implementation of homeland security capabilities for local, regional and statewide terrorism response. The Department’s efforts include security at the Des Moines International Airport, participation and grant oversight for Iowa’s Region 5 Fusion (Law Enforcement Intelligence) Center, Iowa’s Type III Incident Management Teams, Iowa’s Bomb Squad and WMD Tactical Officers Task Force Programs.
The City of Des Moines is seeking an imaginative leader able to stimulate the City Manager, City Council and Staff to develop a variety of ways of addressing issues and arriving at solutions. A commitment to the need for self and employee training and development for managers, supervisors and employees is desired. The new Chief of Police will project a strong, professional presence in appearance, actions and personal demeanor in representing the city and department and be a person who can inspire confidence and credibility with regard to department affairs.
The successful candidate will have the maturity, self-confidence and strength of professional convictions to provide professional insights and counsel to the City Manager, to firmly and diplomatically present professional views, concerns and implications of proposed policy actions that may be under consideration, while also being committed to carrying out ultimate decisions in a timely, respectful, professional and impartial manner.
The hiring range for Chief of Police is $110,000 to $120,000 per year but will ultimately be negotiated based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Resume deadline: May 11, 2007. If you may be interested in being seriously considered for this exceptional career opportunity, please contact:
Clark Wurzberger
The Mercer Group, Inc.
P.O. Box 546
Weimar, California 95736
Office: (530) 637-4559
Fax: (530) 637-1048
Email: cwurzberger@excite.com
Visit the City’s website at: www.dmgov.org for more detailed information about the City of Des Moines, the Des Moines Police Department, Compensation and Benefits, and the selection process. Selected, qualified candidates will be expected to participate in a candidate assessment exercise in the City of Des Moines, Iowa on Friday, June 1st, 2007 and Civil Service Commission oral interviews on Saturday, June 2nd, 2007.