Le Mars Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte formally notified the city of his plan to retire next month after 34 years of police work last Thursday. In an interview with KLEM, Vande Vegte says the decision was made jointly with his wife, a registered nurse at Floyd Valley Hospital.
The couple will move to a residence in Spirit Lake sometime next month. In the meantime, he says he will work with the city to ensure a smooth transition in the department.
Vande Vegte has served as police chief since 2017, and he says that introducing new technologies to the department was a highlight of his tenure.
Vande Vegte says he believes he’s leaving the department in a good position.
Assistant Police Chief Justin Daale will take over as interim Police Chief on May 5th while the department begins the search for Vande Vegte’s replacement.
