Dubuque City Manager Michael Van Milligen is recommending Interim Chief of Police Jeremy Jensen be the next chief of police for the City of Dubuque. Van Milligen’s recommendation must be approved by the Dubuque City Council and will be presented for consideration at their Wednesday, March 2, meeting.
“It is with great enthusiasm that I am recommending to the mayor and city council the appointment of Interim Chief of Police Jeremy Jensen as Dubuque’s next chief of police,” said Van Milligen. “His leadership style and breadth of experience would serve the police department and the community well.”
Jensen has over 30 years of law enforcement experience and has been a member of the Dubuque Police Department since 1994 and had served as assistant chief of police from 2018 until he was named interim chief of police when former Chief of Police Mark Dalsing retired in September 2021. His previous roles within the department include: captain of patrol and mobile field force unit supervisor from 2012-2018, lieutenant of internal affairs from 2009-2012, lieutenant of patrol and tactical team supervisor from 2008-2009, corporal of community policing and tactical unit team leader from 2006-2008, criminal investigation investigator from 2004-2006, tactical unit squad leader from 2002-2006, tactical unit member from 1997-2002, field training officer from 1996-2004, and patrol officer from 1994-2000.
Before joining the Dubuque Police Department, Jensen held patrol, jail, and civil police department roles with the Benton County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office from 1992-1994. He was also a law enforcement officer with the Vinton, Iowa, Police Department from 1992-1994 and the Sumner, Iowa, Police Department from 1991-1992.
Jensen has served as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at both Loras College and the University of Dubuque. He earned a master of arts degree in communication and bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice, both from the University of Dubuque, and an associate’s degree in police science from Hawkeye Institute of Technology.
Jensen is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, a certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner and Assessor and a certified Intercultural Competency Trainer and is a member of the FBI National Academy Associates, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Iowa Association of Chiefs of Police.
“Dubuque is the place I love and call home and I would be deeply honored to continue service to the community as chief of police,” said Jensen. “I, and my police department colleagues, value involvement in the community and it is equally important for the community to be involved with the police department. Outstanding police service requires that we maintain and continuously develop partnerships, maintain transparency, and provide equitable service to all members of the community.”
Van Milligen’s recommendation follows four finalists being interviewed for the position by a core team of City staff and meeting with a panel of representatives from the City’s leadership team, a police staff panel with diverse representation from the police department, and a community members panel representing partner organizations, neighborhood associations, and the Dubuque Community-Police Relations Committee. Input was solicited from all groups involved in the process before Van Milligen finalized his recommendation to the mayor and city council. If approved, his appointment will be effective immediately.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer
563-589-4151, rgehl@cityofdubuque.org
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