Davenport police chief to retire; search for new chief to start soon

Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski
Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski

Davenport soon will be looking for a new police chief. That’s because Police Chief Paul Sikorski  will retire in August after 34 years of service with the police department.

The city announced his retirement in a news release on Thursday, April 28.

“It has been a pleasure serving this community,” Mr. Sikorski said in the release. “Leading and working with a brilliant team, demanding collaboration with others, bringing innovation and a focus on the future of our police department and our profession during some very difficult times has been such a blessing.”

In May, the City of Davenport plans to launch a national search for his replacement. The goal is to name a new police chief before Mr. Sikorski’s retirement on Monday, Aug. 29.

Mr. Sikorski joined the Davenport Police Department in 1988 and has served the agency in every division during his tenure, including 24 years on the Emergency Services Team. He was sworn in as police chief in January 2016 after serving as its interim chief.

During his career, Mr. Sikorski also spent 14 years in special operations and investigations divisions serving the Gang Unit, Vice/Narcotics Unit, the detective bureau; and as a supervisor in the Tactical Operations Bureau Covert Unit.

He has also served as the interagency coordinator for a variety of partnerships, including the Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement and many others.

“It has been a true pleasure to work with Chief Sikorski,” City Administrator Corri Spiegel said in the release. “He is an exceptional public servant who is deeply committed to the Davenport Police Department and the Davenport community.”

As chief, he has been passionate about collaborating with community groups to address safety issues and was an outspoken advocate for the creation of the coordinated Assessment Program (formerly known as Youth Assessment Program), which assists youth and their families prior to involvement with the judicial system.

Mr. Sikorski has a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Northern Iowa, and master’s degree in law enforcement justice administration from Western Illinois University. He is also a graduate with the 274th class of the FBI National Academy.

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