Des Moines Sun

Johnston City Council lauded its police department as several members received promotions during council’s Dec. 19 meeting in council chambers.

Police Chief Dennis McDaniel announced the promotions of Officer Nathan Johnston and Sgt. Kenneth Agan during the meeting, which was streamed on YouTube.

“I think we have the absolute best police department anywhere,” Mayor Paula Dierenfeld said during the session.

Johnston, according to McDaniel, joined the department in 2018 and was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He previously worked at the Polk County Sheriff’s Department. He has served as a patrol officer and a field training officer and trained five current police officers.

In his new position, Johnston will serve as head sergeant of the night shift, and will be the field sobriety training officer, McDaniel told the council.

Agan, a 16-year veteran of the department, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant during the meeting and was the first officer to be selected to serve as a school resource officer, serving every school in the district until 2011, when he was tapped to serve as night shift sergeant.

McDaniel noted during the meeting that In his new role, Agan will oversee the Support Services Division, which includes the Investigations Unit, Community Policing Unit and the Property and Evidence Section as well as the crime scene investigators.

During the session, McDaniel also honored Travis Ouverson, who had served as interim police chief of the department for a year. During his tenure, he provided consulting as well as serving as interim chief.

“Travis has been an exceptional leader in this organization for the last year,” McDaniel said during the meeting.

During the meeting, McDaniel noted that during the year he served in the dual role, Ouverson offered an outside view of the department to help structure the organization going forward.