TOPEKA (KSNT) – The City of Hiawatha has announced the selection of the city’s new police chief this week.
The City of Hiawatha announced on April 14 through a social media post that it has selected David Villanueva as the next police chief. Villanueva will take up his new duties on May 4.
“David brings 31 years of civilian law enforcement experience to us, and I believe the variety of experience that David has in law enforcement will serve the citizens of Hiawatha well,” said Hiawatha City Administrator Brad Scott. “I am excited to see how David not only builds the department to face our current challenges, but how David builds the department for the future so citizens can continue to be served by a police department that uphold[s] the highest standard of law enforcement.”
David Villanueva is the new police chief of Hiawatha. (Photo Courtesy/City of Hiawatha)
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Villanueva is a native of California and previously served as an Army military policeman for 15 years. He later served as a police officer for the Oxnard Police Department in California for 18 years before working with the Salina Police Department in Kansas for 13 years.
“This community is the perfect size to embrace the character of true community policing,” Villanueva said. “Where community members know each other and wish to help make the city a better place together.”
Villanueva said he intends to keep an open-door policy and be open to having conversations with local residents. He will be sworn in during the upcoming regular commission meeting on April 27 in City Hall in Hiawatha.
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