Officers at an Iowa police department—including the interim chief—resigned just after Christmas, and the city, which is home to a women's prison, is planning law enforcement contingencies until it can hire a new force.
In early December, interim Mitchellville Police Chief Hezekiah Applegate announced he was leaving the department Dec. 26 and taking a position at a different agency, KCCI-TV reports. At the time, Applegate said the department's part-time officer and four reserve officers also were leaving the day after Christmas for "personal reasons."
That left two full-time officers and a reserve officer on the force. But once the new year hit, those officers had also stepped down.
"I want to let you know that the entire police department has resigned as of Jan. 1," said Mayor-elect Tony Jensen.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office will be providing law enforcement coverage for the city until more officers can be hired. Mitchellville is the location of the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women.
This isn't the first time the city has seen turnover with its police department recently. Two chiefs had resigned in 2025, and a longtime resident told KCCI that the recent departures stem from officers not wanting "to deal with the new council and the new mayor."
