Morrison swears in new police chief

MORRISON — The city of Morrison has a new police chief.

Kevin Soenksen, a longtime member of the police department and most recently a sergeant, was sworn in as chief on Tuesday, April 30. Soenksen’s salary will be $84,000 per an employment agreement approved by the City Council on Monday, April 29.

A 1995 Clinton, Iowa, High School graduate, Soenksen attended Mount St. Clare College in Clinton and then enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was hired onto the Morrison department as a patrol officer in 2001. He joined the Fulton Police Department in 2008. He rejoined Morrison’s department in 2012, was promoted to sergeant in 2015 and served as acting chief for five months prior to former chief Pedro Valladares’ hiring in February 2023.

Valladares, who submitted his resignation in February effective April 30, lived in Moline throughout his time as Morrison police chief, and left the Morrison position because he has decided to remain in Moline, Morrison City Administrator Brian Melton said. Moline is about 40 miles from Morrison.

Soenksen said his immediate goals include training new officers, implementing license-plate-scanning cameras and getting on board with the county’s new dispatch system.

“My goal is to use technology as much as possible,” he said.

Also sworn in April 30 was new officer Corie Flack, who previously was employed with the Savanna and Fulton police departments. As a lateral transfer officer, Flack’s base salary will be $63,991.

Flack joins officer Drew Misfeldt, an Erie native and Air Force veteran, as the two newest officers on the eight-man police department. As a new recruit officer, MIsfeldt’s base salary is $56,369. The officer salaries are pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement between the city and the Fraternal Order of Police, Melton said.

The department has one more open officer position to fill.