Sheldon, Iowa — The City of Sheldon will soon have a new police chief. Former Police Chief Scott Burtch resigned the position at the end of August, and a search for a new chief began.
It still needs to be formalized with a vote of the Sheldon City Council, but Sheldon Mayor Greg Geels has appointed the man who is currently serving as interim chief to the chief’s role.
According to Sheldon City Manager Sam Kooiker, Eric Meinecke will be Sheldon’s next Chief of Police. The council will vote on a resolution approving the mayor’s appointment at their meeting on Wednesday afternoon, November 6th.
Kooiker says this is a mayoral appointment with confirmation by the city council. He tells us Mayor Geels said openly from the beginning that he wanted it to be a group decision with the involvement of the entire council rather than just an appointment by him. Kooiker says he, the entire council, and City Clerk Angela Beckman were part of all three finalist interviews. Jeff Cayler of Cayler Consulting assisted with much of the advance work, according to Kooiker.
Meinecke’s oath of office as Chief of Police is planned for Wednesday, November 20th.
As for the other candidates, Kooiker says officer Dan Crawley’s experience and credentials are impressive, and he has a lot to offer the Sheldon Police Department. Patrick O’Donohoe from Tulare, CA (with ties to Hawarden) was a finalist as well, and we appreciate his participation and excellent qualifications, says Kooiker. He says this was a thorough and lengthy process.
Photo caption: Meinecke is sworn in as INTERIM Police Chief on August 21st, 2024. Pending council approval on Wednesday, Meinecke is set to be sworn in as Chief of Police on November 20th.
