A Legacy of Law Enforcement Leading Waukee PD

Posted by Brian Buethe 
on Oct 05, 2015
 
 
Chief John Quinn of the Waukee Police Department was the guest speaker at the October 5th, 2015 meeting of the Rotary Club of West Polk County.  As one of the fastest growing communities in Iowa, properly growing a local police department is a real challenge.  One thing is certain, if you want a good chance of getting something accomplished, challenge John Quinn to get it done.
 
Chief Quinn is not the first in his family to choose a career in law enforcement.  His father was in the F.B.I. and inspired his son to follow in his footsteps.  John intended to do just that; work for the F.B.I.  However, at the time his career was beginning, the F.B.I. was in a retraction mode and so it didn’t look promising. 
 
A star quarterback at Dowling Catholic, he went on to play at Iowa State University.  After his college career, he tried out for the Denver Broncos, who like what they saw, but wanted John to play on the practice squad, something that Quinn indicated “didn’t sound like too much fun”.  So, leaving football behind, John returned to central Iowa where he took a job for a short time as an auditor at Bankers Trust in Des Moines. 
 
About a year later, in 1983, John saw an opportunity to practice his craft in a law enforcement setting.  He went to work for the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations, better known as the D.C.I. as a Special Agent.  After nearly a 30 year career with D.C.I, Special Agent John Quinn had been promoted to the position of Director and oversaw the organization which had around 250 employees and a $30 million annual budget.
 
In early 2014, Quinn was seeking something different and was hired by the City of Waukee to head up the growing community’s police department.  Although the job is different in many ways, Quinn indicated that it is “the most rewarding job he’s ever had.”  Why so?  Because he now has the opportunity to really engage and get to know the community and the people he serves.  This is a role he cherishes and enjoys the challenge of building a culture that in community friendly, passionate, and professional within the Department.  Learn more about the Waukee Police Department on their website HERE.
 
Quinn ended his presentation telling the story of a very bad man he encountered during his time at D.C.I.  That bad man was none other than “Bad” Ron Gruber” who they believed had murdered several people, including a young woman in Dallas County, Iowa.  Gruber was one of the first men that Quinn had been charged with interrogating and, so summarize, it didn’t go well. 
 
Gruber suggested that he was insulted that they would send someone so unqualified to interrogate a man with such a reputation as his.  Quinn took that as a challenge and then, 12 years later, after years of training, improving, and perfecting his craft and himself, stood triumphantly at the back of a courtroom where “Bad” Ron Gruber was sentenced for that very murder. 
 
The members are grateful to Chief Quinn for attending and presenting at the Rotary Club of West Polk County.   Thank's also to Rotarian Dustyn Curran of Ryan Companies, US for inviting Chief Quinn to present.