New Muscatine Police Chief Anthony Kies with his family at his swearing-in ceremony | Facebook / City of Muscatine, Iowa - City Government
New Muscatine Police Chief Anthony Kies with his family at his swearing-in ceremony | Facebook / City of Muscatine, Iowa - City Government
The Muscatine City Council recently celebrated the swearing in of the new city police chief.
During the Feb. 16 Muscatine City Council meeting, city officials swore in Anthony Kies to the position of police chief. The council previously approved his application for the position in December.
A 17-year veteran of the Muscatine City Police Department, he was chosen as the finalist out of a competitive group of applicants. He was serving as the captain of patrol prior to this promotion. Police Chief Brett Talkington officially retired on Feb. 28.
Kies took his oath of office during the council meeting alongside his wife and three children. During the pinning ceremony, Chief Talkington presented Kies with the badge that he has worn for years as Kies' badge had not yet arrived. The council and members of the public, including a large number of first responders in attendance, gave Kies a standing ovation in light of his new position.
Kies made a speech, thanking council and the community, and also brought up Chief Talkington to thank him for his mentorship and 35 years of service in the Police Department. Additionally, Kies requested that all of the officers present at the meeting stand so they could be recognized for their service to the community as well.
"I want to thank everybody for the opportunity to be chief of Muscatine. I’m very blessed to be a leader in this community so I thank you," Kies said at the meeting. "It’s been a lot of years since we’ve seen this many first responders in this room, so to all of you who have helped me on my journey, or my family, thank you. We’re very grateful for everybody who works for the city."
According to the Muscatine Journal, Kies has a total of 20 years' experience in law enforcement, being inspired to join the career field as a child growing up in a small town where police officers were friendly and vital public servants. He said he intends to bring that kind of service to his department and community, and has promised a focus on transparency and community policing. He was congratulated warmly by the over 100 first responders in attendance at the meeting.
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