Ames Police Cmdr. Geoff Huff has been named as the interim police chief starting Tuesday. 

Huff started his career with the Ames Police Department as a patrol officer in 1994. 

“After attending the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, he was assigned to a number of different shifts including the Special Operations Unit and Emergency Response Team, and he served as a Field Training Officer for the department training new officers,” according to a news release. “He was promoted to Corporal in 2000 and to Sergeant in 2002. In 2006, Huff was promoted to Lieutenant and served as the shift commander on each shift in rotation. In 2007, he attended the 230th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy.”

Later, Huff was promoted to commander in 2011 and has served as the division commander for both the Investigations and Patrol Divisions. He’s also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Iowa Police Chiefs Association. 

The city of Ames Manager Steve Schainker has Huff as interim police chief following the retirement of Ames Police Chief Chuck Cychosz.

Cychosz will retire Monday after more than 18 years with the city of Ames, including 13 years serving as chief of police. Cychosz said he had been considering retirement for some time and was waiting for the appropriate opportunity to step down.

“There is never a great time to retire, but I made the decision,” Cychosz said in a news release. “It has been a privilege to work side by side with talented, committed people. I feel our residents value the work of law enforcement every day. They may not know the details, but they see the results and know that Ames is special.” 

A national search will be held for a new police chief.

“As police chief, Chuck has worked diligently to create a culture within the Ames Police Department that is committed to providing exceptional service to all segments of our community, with special emphasis on improving the service to those who have been discriminated against historically,” Schainker said. “It was his vision that the officers in the Police Department not view themselves as enforcers of the law, but rather as problem solvers for the citizens we serve.”