MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine Police Department’s Patrol Division responded to 22,270 calls for service in 2025—nearly 2,000 fewer than in 2024. Much of this decrease is credited to the growing success of the department’s co-responder program, which continues to reshape how officers support residents in crisis.
This update is one of many highlights featured in the Muscatine Police Department’s newly released 2025 Annual Report.
Police Chief Anthony Kies said the department remains focused on retaining its talented officers.
“Turnover is trending down to about one officer per year, compared to the three to five officers we used to lose annually,” Kies said. He noted that emphasizing family, mental wellness, and improved access to time off has played a major role in boosting job satisfaction.
The Patrol Division makes up the largest portion of the department and serves as the most visible connection between officers and the community. Initiatives such as “park and walks”—where officers leave their squad cars to walk through neighborhoods and talk with residents—continue to strengthen those relationships.
One of the department’s biggest success stories in 2025 was the continued expansion of the co-responder program. Launched in 2022 and led since June 2024 by Amy Gold, the program pairs mental health expertise with frontline policing. Gold rides with officers and assists individuals experiencing crisis. In 2025, she interacted with 359 people, successfully de-escalating 260 situations, with only 12 resulting in arrest.
“This speaks volumes about our efforts to improve the services we deliver,” Kies said. He added that the department’s participation in the ABLE (Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement) program, along with its commitment to employee mental wellness, ensures that “we have good people who care about providing quality service to the community.”
Additional highlights from the 2025 Annual Report include:
- A robust mental wellness program offering annual mental health check-ups, peer support, critical incident debriefs, and reintegration support. Fergus, the department’s emotional support dog, continues to play an important role.
- MSORT (Muscatine Special Operations Response Team) responded to seven high-risk incidents, including drug and arrest warrants involving two individuals found with explosives.
- The Muscatine Evidence Technician (MET) team processed two homicide scenes, with their detailed work contributing to a successful prosecution in one case.
- Life Saving Awards were presented to Lt. Greg Hazelett and Officers Tylor Staley, Nathanial Avis, Samantha Wheeler, and Darran Ritchie.
- Medals of Merit were awarded to Chief Anthony Kies, Assistant Chief Steve Snider, and Co-Responder Amy Gold.
- Officer Jacob Elliot was named the 2025 Officer of the Year by his peers.
- Chief Anthony Kies became the fifth MPD member to graduate from the FBI National Academy.
