The Pella Police Department has promoted Bret Haupert to Lieutenant.

He officially started in the commander position Monday and was recognized at a ceremony earlier today by Police Chief Robert Bokinsky. Haupert has been an officer in Pella for more than a decade, first serving on patrol and most recently for five years on the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force as a detective.

Bret’s wife Stephanie pins his new badge on his uniform

He tells KNIA/KRLS News he looks forward to meeting community members and continuing to serve and protect the public in his new role.

“One of the things I plan on doing when I start working on my shifts is getting out to the community and meeting new people, and getting more involved in the community,” he says. “In my previous role on the Drug Task Force, I didn’t quite get that opportunity as much as I wanted to, just because of the aspects of that work, but now that I’m back in uniform and working the streets, I can easily get out there and meet new people.”

Haupert’s father Steve is a now-retired law enforcement officer, most recently serving as Greene County Sheriff. Bret says his father played a big part in his path into police work.

“Growing up, I always had an experience to see law enforcement first hand from my father, and seeing what he did on a day-to-day basis really influenced my decision to get into law enforcement,” Bret says.

Hear more from Lt. Haupert on Wednesday’s Let’s Talk Pella.