The City of Bellevue is getting a new Police Chief.
On Wednesday, City Administrator Jim Ristow announced that Kenneth Clary was hired for the position of Police Chief. The city says that Clary will replace Interim Police Chief Tom Dargy, who has served in that role since January of this year.
According to a media release from the city, Captain Dargy decided early on that he was not going to submit his name as a candidate for the Police Chief opening.
Bellevue leaders say Clary comes to the Bellevue Police Department with over 25 years of experience, having worked for the Iowa State Patrol since 1994. They say Clary has served in a variety of roles including District Commander, Statewide Tactical Commander, Assistant Operations Commander, Professional Standards Bureau and CALEA Accreditation Coordinator. The release states that for the last five years, Clary has served as an Area Commander.
Clary received his Master in Public Administration degree from Upper Iowa University, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska Omaha. He also graduated from the FBI National Academy, completed the International Association of Chiefs of Police – Leadership in Police Organizations training, and Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command.
Clary currently serves as the Board Chair for the Food Bank of Iowa and has been awarded the Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award on two occasions for his philanthropic work.
According to the release, Clary was selected from a field of twenty candidates after an extensive interview process which was overseen by the Bellevue Civil Service Commission. Ristow says, “Chief Clary will prove to be a valuable asset to Bellevue as he brings a great deal of experience in law enforcement and community service to the City. As someone who values trust and accountability, he will do a great job with moving the department forward. I welcome him to Bellevue and I look forward to the opportunity for the dedicated members of the Bellevue Police Department and the Bellevue community to get to know him and work with him. “
Clary will start as the Bellevue Police Chief in the beginning of September.