UPD Command Staff

Chief of Police-Ross McCarty
Chief McCarty has been a police officer with the City of Urbandale since 1984. Prior to entering law enforcement, he earned a B.A. degree from Central College, in Pella, Iowa. His professional experiences include service as a reserve police officer, police instructor, investigator, supervisor and tactical team commander. Chief McCarty's foundations of leadership are built upon stewardship and community service.

Enhancing the concepts of Community Oriented Policing Services (C.O.P.S.) into the service model of the Urbandale Police Department is a priority for his administration. Chief McCarty believes in the importance of advancing professionalism through participation in training opportunities, professional organizations and community partnerships. 

Division Commanders
Lt Doug Hobart - (CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION)
Lieutenant Doug Hobart is Commander of the Criminal Investigation Division. He joined the Urbandale Police Department in November of 1978 and has served as a patrol officer, general criminal investigations detective and narcotics detective. In June of 1998, Lt. Hobart was promoted to the rank of Sergeant where he served in patrol and then in the Criminal Investigation Division. In July of 2002, Hobart was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and assigned to his current position.

Lt. Hobart holds an AA Degree in Criminal Justice from Des Moines Area Community College. He is a member of the Iowa State Police Officers Association, The Iowa Association of Chiefs of Police, International Association of Chiefs of Police, The International Association of Property and Evidence Managers, and the Iowa Death Investigators Association.

Lt Rob Johansen - (ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIVISION)
Lieutenant Rob Johansen is the commander of the Administrative Services Division. Lt. Johansen started his law enforcement career in 1992 attending the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy while working for the Carroll Police Department. In 1993, Lt. Johansen joined the Urbandale Police Department and has served as a patrol officer and detective.

Promoted to Sergeant in 2000, he has supervised in the Patrol Division, Staff Services Division and with the Mid Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force for several years. He has also served on the SWAT (ERT) Team as an operator and as a sniper/marksman. He is a recipient of the department's Medal of Valor.
Lieutenant Johansen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Criminal Justice and a Master of Public Administration degree from Iowa State University. He is also a graduate of the 241st FBI National Academy.
In September of 2010, Lieutenant Johansen was promoted to his current rank and placed in command of the Administrative Services Division. Responsibilities of this division are C.A.L.E.A. Accreditation, Training, Emergency Management Liaison, Major Event Planning, Fees and Licensing, Records, Human Resources, Internship Program, and the Office of Professional Standards and Internal Affairs.

Lt Kent Knopf - (PATROL DIVISION)
Lieutenant Kent Knopf has been a Police Officer since 1983. He started his career by working part time as a Police Officer while attending Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. He graduated from Iowa Central with a degree in Law Enforcement in May of 1984 and from the Iowa Law enforcement Academy in December of 1984. He began his full time duties upon graduation from the I.L.E.A. with the Rockwell City Police Department. 

He joined the Urbandale Police Department in 1987 and worked three years as a police officer. In 1990 he joined the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement as a Special Agent working in undercover narcotic investigations. In 1992 Lieutenant Knopf returned to the Urbandale Police Department and worked in the Patrol Division.
Lieutenant Knopf was promoted to Sergeant in 2002. He has served as a Watch Commander for the Patrol Division and a Sergeant in the Staff Services Division. He is a past Commander of the Urbandale Tactical Unit and Executive Officer for the combined S.E.R.T. Team. He also serves as an Adjunct Instructor for the I.L.E.A. in Precision Driving, Less Lethal Munitions and the Police Taser.
On February 1st 2010 Lieutenant Knopf was promoted to his current rank., Commander of the Patrol Division. His new position includes supervision of three patrol shifts that provide service to the Urbandale Community. 

Lt Terry Nielsen - (SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION)
Lieutenant Terry Nielsen has been the Staff Services Commander since June of 2002. Recently the division was divided and is now Support Services. He has been with the Urbandale Police Department since 1973, first serving as a communication officer and then Sworn Police Officer in 1975. During his career with the police department he has served in the Patrol Division, the Criminal Investigation Division and Support Services Unit.

Lt. Nielsen currently oversees the operations of the Crime Prevention Unit, D.A.R.E. Officer Program, Technical Support Unit, SRO Officer, School Crossing Guards, Property and Evidence Unit, Matrons and Interpreters.
Lt. Nielsen holds an AA Degree in Criminal Justice from Des Moines Area Community College, is a member of the International Association of Chief’s of Police, Iowa State Police Association, Iowa Police Chief’s Association.


Division Supervisors
Sgt Dave Disney - (CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION)
Sergeant Dave Disney has been employed with the Urbandale Police Department since 1991. He is currently assigned to the Investigation Division, as the Criminal Investigation Sergeant. Sgt Disney has served the department as a patrolman, narcotics officer, and criminal investigator. He has served the department for several years as a press information officer and D.A.R.E. Instructor for the Urbandale School District.

Sgt Disney was promoted to Sergeant in 1999 and has been a supervisor in the Patrol Division, Investigation Division and Staff Services Divisions. He has several years of experience as a S.W.A.T. team member and commander with the department’s Emergency Response Team.
Sgt Disney holds a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice from Grand View College and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Drake University. 
 
Sgt Matt Gausman - (PATROL DIVISION)

Sgt Gary Lang - (SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION)
Sergeant Gary Lang began his career with the Urbandale Police Department in January 1997. Following Iowa Law Enforcement Academy graduation Sgt. Lang worked in the Patrol Division. Sgt. Lang moved to the Criminal Investigation Division in 2000 and has worked as a Narcotics Detective, Property Crimes Detective and an undercover assignment with the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Sgt. Lang has also been a member of the SWAT (ERT) Team and is an instructor in ASP Baton and Defensive Tactics. In March of 2009 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and has supervised in the patrol division and currently is the Support Services Division Sergeant. 

Sgt Matt Logsdon - (CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION-Narcotics)
Sergeant Matt Logsdon has been employed with the Urbandale Police Department since 1997. He is currently assigned to the Mid Iowa Narcotic Enforcement Task Force, as a task force supervisor.
During his career with the Urbandale Police Department he has been assigned to the following positions: Patrolman, Narcotics Detective, and Criminal Investigator. He serves the department as a Firearms Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Taser Instructor, ASP Instructor, Less Lethal Munitions Instructor, and Chemical Munitions Instructor. In September of 2002, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. As a Sergeant he has supervised as a  Patrol Sergeant and in the Criminal Investigation Division as a General Criminal Investigations Sergeant. He currently serves as a  Narcotics Task Force Sergeant.

In January 2010, he assumed the position of the Suburban Emergency Response Team Commander, a position he continues to hold.

Sgt Steve Shivers - (Patrol Division)
Sergeant Steve Shivers has been employed with the Urbandale Police Department since 1978. He is currently assigned as a Patrol Division Sergeant.. He serves the department as an instructor in the following areas, CPR, Police baton, Chemical agents, Firearms (revolver, semi auto, shotgun, patrol rifle, & sniper rifle), a trainer in the Police motor cycle program, Defensive Tactics, Taser. Sgt Shivers has served on the SWAT team for several years as an entry team member and currently as an observer/counter sniper.
Sergeant Shivers has also served his country in the United States Air Force National Guard since 1986. He currently is a Master Sergeant of the National Guard. He has served in several active duty over seas tours. He is currently assigned to the training section with the 132nd Security Forces Squadron. He as been assigned to Active Duty at Offit Air Force Base, Omaha, Ne. as a Flight Sgt and training section as lead instructor.   Sgt Shivers holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of Northern Iowa.

                                
Sgt Don Simpson - (ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIVISION)
Sergeant Don Simpson has been employed with the Urbandale Police Department since 1991. He is currently assigned to the Administrative Services Division, as division Sergeant. Sergeant Simpson has served in the Patrol Division, Support Services Division  and in the Investigation Division. As a Detective he served seven years as a Narcotics Officer with the Westside Vice / Narcotics Task Force and also the Mid Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force.

In 2008, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant for which he has served as Patrol Sergeant, Staff Services Sergeant, Support Services Sergeant and currently as Administrative Services Sergeant. Sgt Simpson has supervised the Bike Patrol Unit, Field Training Unit, Recruitment, Internal Affairs, Records, and as Physical Fitness Coordinator for the department. Sgt Simpson is a recipient of the departments Medal of Valor in 2010.
He is a 1991 graduate of Grandview College, after receiving his Bachelors Degree in Human Services. 

Sgt Dan Stein - (PATROL DIVISION)
Sergeant Dan Stein has been employed with the Urbandale Police Department since 2000.  He started his law enforcement career in January 1988 and served twelve (12) years with the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Kearney, NE.
He is currently assigned as a Patrol Division Sergeant. Sergeant Stein has served in the Patrol Division and the Investigation Division for the department. As a detective, he served as a School Resource Officer, Arson Investigator, and Crimes Against Person detective.
He currently supervises the department's Bike Patrol Unit and Components of the Traffic Unit. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a BS Degree in Criminal Justice.