Waterloo Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald has resigned his position in order to take a job in Colorado. Fitzgerald was criticized during his time in Waterloo for applying for other police chief jobs around the country, essentially from day one, and for rarely being in Waterloo. He joined the force during the George Floyd protests and guided the department through a national call for police reform and the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also credited with upgrading police equipment and software, elevating mental health by embedding social workers, introducing Critical Incident Trained Officers, and decreasing the civil litigation against the police department. Assistant Chief Joe Leibold, who has been on the force since 1990, will head the department until a new Chief is hired.
