Department History

1903

Oley Landey was sworn in on March 20 as the first Marshal when Ankeny became incorporated. He made twenty-five dollars a year.

1958

Earl Hildreth was appointed Chief of Police.

1961

Ankeny's full-time police force increased to three men. For the first time, Ankeny had 24-hour police protection, seven days a week.

1963

Chief Hildreth passed away and Arthur Doubleday was named Chief in September.

1964

Patrolman Laverne Haubert lost his life on a mission of mercy on January 8.

On March 16, the Ankeny City Council passed an ordinance establishing and regulating the police department of the City of Ankeny. It authorized the positions and ranks of chief of police, assistant chief of police, sergeant, and patrolman. It stated that the mayor with the approval of the council would make all appointments to or in the police department.

1971

The department switched from IPERS to Civil Service.

1973

Joyce Lundstrom became Ankeny's first female police officer.

Dennis Ballard was named Chief of Police.

1975

The Ankeny Police Department was unionized.

1978

The department had seventeen sworn officers.

1986

The department consisted of twenty officers and five civilian employees.

1995

Chief Dennis Ballard retired after 30 years on the force.

David W Foster served as interim Chief of Police from February to July when he was appointed Chief of Police.

1996

Merlin Christians, a 24-year veteran of the police department, served as interim Chief.

1997

Paul R. Scranton was appointed Ankeny Chief of Police in August.

2002

Chief Paul R. Scranton resigned in November.

Merlin Christians was appointed to serve as interim Chief of Police.

2003

This year marked the 100-year anniversary of law enforcement in Ankeny.

2004

Gary Mikulec was appointed Ankeny Chief of Police in March.

2011

Makai Echer became the first female Captain.

2018

Makai Echer became the first woman to serve as Interim Police Chief in the City of Ankeny history.

Darius V. Potts was appointed Chief of Police in August.

2019

The longest-serving officer in Ankeny Police Department history, Bruce Christensen, retired after 39 years of dedicated service.

2020

The department has 68 sworn officers and eleven civilian employees.