Greg Behning named next Davenport Chief of Police

Major Behning, a 31-year veteran of the Department, has served as the Assistant Chief of Police since August 2025. During his tenure, Behning has served in every division in the department and is an active contributor to regional law enforcement efforts, including with the Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG) and 22 years of service on the department's Emergency Services Team.

"I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead the Davenport Police Department and to continue to serve each day alongside the exceptional men and women dedicated to our community's safety," said Major Greg Behning. "I am excited to continue our strong leadership tradition by building on the partnerships that make a lasting difference in Davenport and advancing improvements that support high-quality policing."

As Chief, Behning will oversee the department with an authorized strength of 167 sworn personnel and 29 professional staff.

"Greg demonstrated all the qualities we were looking for in our next chief and earned strong support from our stakeholders," said Tim Gleason, City Administrator. "He has the experience, character, and leadership to guide our police department forward. I am confident he will serve our community well."

Throughout his career with the Davenport Police Department, Behning has earned numerous commendations, including the Medal of Honor, Combat Bar, Commendation Bar, two Excellent Duty Bars, seven Unit Citation Bars, and a 25-Year Good Conduct Bar. He was named the American Legion Officer of the Year in both 2012 and 2020. Behning is also an active member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Iowa Chiefs of Police Association, and the Quad Cities Chiefs of Police Association.

Behning has also served overseas as an instructor for the U.S. Department of State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program, instructing senior members of national organizations tasked with terrorist incident response. As Assistant Chief, he played a pivotal role in overseeing internal department operations and served as incident commander during large-scale and critical incidents.

He is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command and holds a Management of Personal Protection degree from National American University's Henley-Putnam School of Strategic Security.

Major Behning will be publicly sworn in as Chief of Police on June 17, 2026 during the Committee of the Whole at City Hall, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

A date for a public open house will be announced in the coming weeks.