Potthast named new FM Police Chief

Well-prepped

I think the fact that we had good candidates and selected an excellent candidate is a real commentary to our current chief. I think that would not have gone as well had you not prepared your people to take the next role.”

Matt Mohrfeld, Fort Madison Mayor

FORT MADISON – A three-year captain with the Fort Madison Police Department has been selected as the department’s next Chief of Police.
Cody Potthast was announced as Fort Madison City Manager Laura Liegois’ pick to replace current Police Chief Mark Rohloff when his retirement takes place on Oct. 18.
Liegois said she will make a formal announcement and swearing in at that time.
Mayor Matt Mohrfeld said the interview process was a “healthy one” with four internal candidates applying for the position.
“We had a  lot of community interaction with staff, elected officials, and other people out in the community. As you know, there were four people who applied and they all did a very good job,” he said.
“I think the fact that we had good candidates and selected an excellent candidate is a real commentary to our current chief. I think that would not have gone as well had you not prepared your people to take the next role,” Mohrfeld said.
Liegois said with internal candidates its always a tough process, but she felt there were qualified candidates in house so they didn’t need to conduct a larger search for a police chief.
“I told them all at the start that there can only be one winner,” she said following the meeting.
Liegois has authority to appoint the new chief, but she put it in front of the council as an affirmation of the selection.
Potthast came to Fort Madison in January of 2022 after a lengthy career in law enforcement in Nebraska. From March 2021 to November of 2021 he was a police officer and training officer in Mitchell, Nebraska.
From June 2019 to March of 2021 he was the task force commander for the Western Nebraska Intelligence and Narcotics Group out of Scottsbluff, Neb. In that role, he worked in in-depth intelligence on narcotics locations and movements. He also oversaw a $175,000 annual budget and coordinated a juvenile probation program with officers helping mentor youth.
During that time, he was also a sergeant with the Nebraska State Patrol and was a trooper in that branch from Oct. 2011 to December 2018.
He went to law enforcement command school in Johnson, Iowa and did other general education and criminal justice studies in Colorado and New Hampshire.
Rohloff commended the city on the search and interview process.
“The selection process for a new chief was very satisfactory, in my opinion. The way that it was conducted allowed the four captains each an opportunity equally to participate. I think it’s been well received by the department. I believe the selection was a very thoughtful one and made use of various counterparts to make that decision,” he said.
“I believe, going forward, the city does have a good choice and it is my pleasure to be here and mentor Cody in that process."
He said some steps have been taken to begin the transition in hopes of speeding up the process to save taxpayers some money having a chief in training and an active chief on payroll at the same time.
Liegois said Rohloff has agreed to stay on as a consultant for three months to help the department navigate the transition.
“I’ve already notified my counterparts in other area law enforcement agencies. Now that we can focus on an individual, there’s many things to be done,” he said.
Rohloff said there are several things still in the works that he needs to clean up, including grants that he’s a signatory on, and several ordinances that are in front of city staff. He’s also bringing on a new officer, Riley Long, who was sworn in Wednesday.
"I believe the department is going to be in good shape and great hands and I'm enthused on what we have going forward," Rohloff said.
Rohloff's retirement is per state rules that require him to step aside with his number of years of service and age combined.