Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert will retire after over 3 decades in law enforcement

After nine years as Des Moines' top cop — and a law enforcement career spanning more than three decades — Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert is retiring.

City Manager Scott Sanders confirmed the chief's retirement to the Des Moines Register on Thursday morning amid a conversation over his own decision to remain at the helm of city government. The chief's retirement date is unknown.

The police department's spokesperson declined to comment.

On Thursday, Sanders called the police chief one of the most critical hires a city manager can make. Sanders appointed Wingert, 54, as chief of police in February 2015.

Wingert's nearly decade-long tenure as chief included highlights such as the department's acquisition of body-worn cameras in 2017 and the George Floyd protests, when he and Sanders were criticized for the police department's response and sometimes violent arrests of protesters.

A former construction worker, Wingert became an officer with the Des Moines Police Department in 1991, at 22 years old, after his wife, Tami, filled out an application on his behalf.

"It wasn't anything that was on the radar. It was a forward-thinking wife," Wingert previously shared of his beginnings in law enforcement.

He quickly rose through the ranks. He made senior police officer in three years, sergeant in nine and, by age 36, he was a captain. Along the way, he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Grand View University.

At the time of his appointment, city leaders praised Wingert's police work and ability to build strong connections with the community.

"The existing relationships with the community and (his) comfort level with the community was a clear message I got," Sanders said at the time. "With his established relationships, he'll be able to hit the ground running."

The Des Moines Police Department serves a population of more than 211,000 people. With 379 sworn officers and 98 civilian employees, the police department is the largest in the state of Iowa.

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Dana Wingert, Des Moines police chief, is retiring