New police chief drawn in by strong community focus

Marcus Speakman says the feeling of becoming Greenfield’s next police chief is still hard to fathom.

The law enforcement veteran, with about a decade of experience, most recently served as a police officer in Winterset. His first day in Greenfield was Monday, and he was sworn in that morning, joined by his family and a close friend in law enforcement. A breakfast reception followed with several city council members, city department heads and staff present.

“Becoming a chief is something I always hoped for but never knew if it would come to fruition,” Speakman said. “It feels great, and I’m excited to get into the community.”

Because he has worked in the area for the past several years, Speakman said he had heard about Greenfield’s tight-knit, supportive community. When the position opened, he knew it was an opportunity he should explore.

“After what happened with the tornado, how you guys didn’t just separate when everybody could have gone their own way, that sense of community really drew me in,” Speakman said.

Before becoming a police officer, Speakman worked in corrections for three years at facilities in Coralville and Newton. He began his law enforcement career in Leon, a community similar in size to Greenfield but with a slightly smaller police department, then moved to Osceola before joining the department in Winterset.

At each stop, Speakman said he gained insight into how small- and mid-size departments operate. Greenfield — with officers Matt Kernen, Jacob Tootle and Ben Marsh — is now fully staffed at four officers, but one of the new chief’s first goals is to add back a school resource officer for the local schools.

“That’s something we have big support for here. I’m a big supporter of it,” Speakman said. “I think we have a really great group of guys. Especially with Matt and Jacob, it shows a lot about their character to stick it out only having a two-man department for a while. With the overwhelming support from the community I’ve received — from the city administrator to the city council and others — I’m excited, and I think we’ll be able to do really good things here.”

Speakman said he wants residents to remember the police department works for them. He encourages the public to reach out to him or other officers with concerns or questions and said he maintains an open-door policy.

Speakman and his wife, Rachael, a teacher, have three young children — Jude, Lucy and Jack — and hope to relocate to Greenfield soon.

“I’m really excited to get back to a small town,” Speakman said.