“What we do, we do because he allowed us to”: Clive’s police chief Michael Venema retires

EIGHT NEWS AT TEN. NEW TONIGHT: CLIVE COMMUNITY SAYS GOODBYE TO ITS POLICE CHIEF AND WELCOME THE MAN WHO TAKES OVER THE DEPARTMENT. KCCI’S PEPPER PURPURA SPEAKS TO BOTH OF THEM TODAY ABOUT THE TRANSITION. PEPPER. SO, BEN, BITTERSWEET IS HOW NOW FORMER CLIVE POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL VENEMA DESCRIBED TODAY LOVED ONES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS VISIT HIM DURING RETIREMENT PARTY AND HIS HONORS. HE WILL TELL YOU WE MAKE HIM LOOK GOOD. I WOULD TELL YOU HE GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE MORE THAN A DECADE OF LEADERSHIP AND ALMOST 40 YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. CHIEF CLIVE, POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL VENEMA IS RETIRING, BUT HIS LEGACY WILL BE LIKE THE PEOPLE WE HAVE HERE NOW. UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THE CLIVE POLICE INTRODUCED A CANINE UNIT AND WAS THE FIRST DEPARTMENT IN THE DES MOINES METRO TO WEAR BODY CAMERAS. IT WAS PRETTY UNUSUAL AT THE TIME, BUT TODAY IT’S UNUSUAL NOT TO BE EQUIPPED WITH THESE BODY CAMERAS, AND THE MAN WHO’S TAKING OVER THE BUSINESS SAYS HE HOPES TO BUILD ON WHAT VENEMA PIONEERED. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS CHIEF VENEMA STARTED HERE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE. AFTER 25 YEARS WORKING AT CLIVE PD, VENEMA SAYS HE’S CONVINCED MARK RABER IS UP TO THE JOB. I’VE SEEN HIM OVER THE YEARS I’VE BEEN HERE. HE’S TAKEN MORE AND MORE RESPONSIBILITY AND WE’VE WENT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC TOGETHER. WE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF THIS CIVIL UNREST AND LEARNED THROUGH EVERYTHING TOGETHER WITH VENEMA TO KEEP GOING AND CLIVE. WHAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO GET FROM US IS THAT WE ARE A VERY SERVICE-ORIENTED POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CHIEF REHNBERG IS NOW THE ACTING CHIEF OF POLICE WHILE CLIVE IS RETIRED, VENEMA WILL

“What we do, we do because he allowed us to”: Clive’s police chief Michael Venema retires

In retirement, Michael Venema said he will focus his expertise on leading a state police accreditation program.

Updated: 11:48 p.m. CDT, July 26, 2024

Reporter/Multimedia journalist

After 12 years as the city’s police chief and 40 years in law enforcement, Michael Venema is retiring. The community honored the former chief at a retirement ceremony Friday night. Under Venema’s leadership, the police department introduced a K-9 unit and was the first in the greater Des Moines area to equip its officers with body cameras. In retirement, Venema said, he will focus his expertise on leading a state police accreditation program. Venema’s successor, Mark Rehberg, is now chief of the city’s police force. Rehberg started with the Clive Police Department 25 years ago and worked alongside Venema during his tenure as chief. “We got through the pandemic together, we went through a lot of that civil unrest,” Rehberg said. “When he’s gone, it will definitely be different, but we’ll continue in the direction we’ve already been going. There are a lot of things that Venema started here that we’re going to continue.”

CLIVE, Iowa —

After serving Clive for 12 years as the city’s police chief and 40 years in the police force, Michael Venema is retiring.

The community honored the former chief at a farewell ceremony on Friday evening.

Under Venema’s leadership, the police department introduced a canine unit and was the first in the Des Moines area to equip its officers with body cameras. After he retires, he will focus his expertise on leading a state police accreditation program, Venema said.

Venema’s successor, Mark Rehberg, is now chief of the city’s police force. Rehberg started with the Clive Police Department 25 years ago and worked with him during Venema’s tenure as chief.

“We went through the pandemic together, we experienced a lot of the civil unrest that was going on back then,” Rehberg said. “When he’s gone, it will definitely be different, but we will continue in the direction we’ve already been heading. There are a lot of things that Venema started here and we will continue them.”