City said state law wouldn’t affect police chief before it forced his retirement

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - A spokesperson for the city of Cedar Rapids said in an email the age requirement for police officers within state law didn’t apply to Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman. About three months later, Jerman retired from the department Tuesday after a dispute over his police certification due to his age.

His retirement was announced after the city of Cedar Rapids approved a severance agreement, without debate, worth at least $241,442.78. Jerman was placed on paid administrative leave after he turned 66-Years-Old in March while the city of Cedar Rapids assessed his certification status.

“The Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA)’s position is that all Peace Officer Certifications expire upon the officer reaching age 66,” City Manager Jeff Pomeranz wrote to all police employees in an email on March 9. “While we evaluate this matter further, Deputy Chief Jonker will serve as Acting Chief of Police.”

TV9 reached out to understand to ask for an explanation, but a spokesperson declined to answer because the city does not comment on confidential personnel matters and the City Attorney’s Office does not prepare legal opinions for the general public or conduct interviews regarding legal analysis. In emails TV9 received, the city said one option was to rewrite city laws to make the police chief a civilian position.

Officials did weigh the decision to create a civilian chief position, but the city manager received pushback from three police unions in March

Two different members from the Police Chief’s Advisory Committee said they were caught off guard when the city placed Jerman under paid administrative leave. One told TV9 he found out about the chief being placed on leave after TV9 published a story from a viewer tip.

Linda Seger, who is a member of the Police Chief’s Advisory Committee, said she’s surprised nobody caught the age requirement. She also said she’s concerned with the lack of transparency in the process and is concerned it will give people the wrong impression about the police chief.

“Everything sounds so ominous and so you’re waiting for the story and there is no story,” Seger said. “He had a birthday, turned 66 and is no longer certified in the state of Iowa.”

As of Tuesday, the city of Cedar Rapids didn’t release the full agreement and it is unclear if the total is higher because the one-page cover sheet published said Jermain is also entitled to his yearly salary, flex leave and any expenses.

According to a press release, the city appointed Tom Jonker as Interim Chief of Police after the severance was approved. He’s been the Deputy Chief of Police for the department since 2013 and the city hasn’t announced plans for hiring a new police chief.

A spokesperson for the city of Cedar Rapids said it wouldn’t accommodate requests for staff interviews or comments other than a written statement praising Wayne Jerman.

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