Waterloo Times

City of Cedar Falls issued the following announcement on Aug. 7. 

On August 6, 2020, Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green announced to the City Council his nomination of Assistant Chief Craig Berte for the position of Cedar Falls Police Chief. The City Council will vote on this nomination during their August 17th City Council meeting.

The selection process began in February with the solicitation of applications. Candidate interviews were held with civic leaders, area law enforcement officers, and the city’s senior executive leadership. A televised meet-and-greet interview was also conducted with questions from residents, for the public to gain a better sense of the candidates, as well.

The process was abnormally long due to the global Coronavirus pandemic; a special City Council election originally planned for March was delayed to July by the Iowa Secretary of State. Said Mayor Green, “I believe it’s important that this Police Chief appointment be decided by a fully-elected council. With the special election concluded, we can now do that.”

The extended wait between interviews and the resolution of the special election allowed the Mayor to extensively review the applications and weigh the merits of the final top two candidates. In his memo to the Council, Green noted several distinguishing qualities which set Berte’s application above the others. These include Berte’s thirty years of local police work, fifteen years of supervisory experience, his extensive positive relationships and reputation within the community, strong leadership during the coronavirus pandemic, and the Police Division’s demonstrated commitment to addressing racial injustice and use of force concerns. 

Green also noted, “The first and second alternates for this position were also top notch. Lieutenant Derrick Turner in particular bought some outstanding executive qualities to the table. But right now, I believe stability in the consolidated public safety model is key, so that we can evaluate its effectiveness and decide on the changes needed in the years ahead.”

Original source can be found here.