Dave Niedert currently serves as the Chief of Police for the City of Independence. He was hired as Chief in October 2021. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Buchanan County Substance Use Coalition, Buchanan Co. Pathways Advisory Board member, and is on the Iowa Police Chiefs Association’s Conference Committee.

He started his law enforcement career as a jailer with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office in 1988 while completing his A.A. degree at North Iowa Area Community College. He became an officer in 1989 with the Denver, Iowa Police Department. In 1991 he became patrolman with the Independence Police Department. During this time with Independence, he was the department’s crime prevention officer. In 1996 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to the R.A.I.D. task force as the narcotics investigator. In 1998 he went back to patrol sergeant, a position he held until he left the department in 2016 to join the Oelwein Police Department, as a Lieutenant. He was with Oelwein P.D. when he was hired by Independence again in 2021.

In 2000 he took a leave of absence from Independence, and took a position working for Dyn-Corp, who was the private contractor supplying American police officers for the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Kosovo. During his time in Kosovo, he worked with the Pristina Regional Traffic Unit, Pristina Traffic Homicide Unit, and was the operations officer at the Pristina Airport Border Police Station.

Dave resides in Independence, with his wife Karrie, who is a I.T. Project Manager. They have three grown children and two grandchildren. Dave and his wife love to travel with friends and spend time with family.