Colfax Police Chief to retire
By JOHN JENNINGS/NDN Staff Writer
Police Chief Jon Huggins took the opportunity of the Colfax City Council meeting on Dec. 10, to announce that he would be stepping down to pursue a career in the private sector. Huggins said he felt the time was right for a change.
“I’ve worked for someone else all my life,” Huggins said. “We’ve been exploring our opportunities for about a year now.”
Huggins has spent 24 years in law enforcement, half of that in the City of Colfax, and the past 10 years as chief of police. He said that he felt proud of his accomplishments in law enforcement in Colfax.
“When I came to Colfax, the police force was under-prepared in all aspects of law enforcement,” Huggins said. “With the help of good officers and a mayor or two, we’ve been able to turn the force into as good as any in the state. We’ve established ourselves as well-equipped and very capable. I’m very proud of where we’ve been.”
Huggins said maintaining the status quo of the police force is not as satisfying as achieving the long-term goals he set for the force, and felt it was time to move on.
He said he is in the process of acquiring a small food service business in western Iowa, but was reluctant to disclose more details for business reasons. He feels that Colfax has great potential for growth in the future, noting the new industry in Jasper County and continued urbanization from the Des Moines area.
“There’s opportunity here for the right guy, but it’s time for me to move on,” he said.
Huggins’ last day will be Jan. 7. Sgt. Andy Summy will assume the police chief duties in the interim, but Huggins said he was not sure how the Colfax City Council would fill the position on a permanent basis. The Colfax Police Department currently has four full-time and five part-time officers, plus 10 reserves.
