Steve Hanson

Webster City’s new police chief is a veteran Fort Dodge police captain whose hiring was approved Monday by the City Council of Webster City.

Steve Hanson, a Fort Dodge police officer since September 2006, was promoted to captain in 2023. He has commanded the department’s Criminal Investigations Division.

The new chief is expected to begin in his position on Monday, June 23.

In Fort Dodge, Hanson has served as a drug task force detective and as a general crimes detective. He has been a field training officer and a member of the Special Emergency Response Team, which handles high-risk situations.

He was hired as a result of a “professional search process and input from city staff, council members, and community members,” according to an agenda statement in Monday’s council packet.

Sgt. Eric McKinley has been acting as chief of the Webster City Police Department since November 18, 2024, which was the date former Police Chief Shiloh Mork was put on administrative leave.

Mork formally resigned as chief effective Wednesday, December 18, 2024. His resignation came in the wake of an investigation.

“The city conducted an investigation into allegations related to Shiloh Mork’s service as a police chief,” according to a document from the city that was a response to the Daily Freeman-Journal’s request for information related to investigations into Mork.

Mork allegedly:

— “Falsified a summons in a criminal case document.

— “Fabricated an FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) investigation and criminal charges involving city administration.

— “Engaged in intimidation and isolation of a co-worker through falsified information.”