The new leader of the Iowa State Patrol says the agency faces many challenges, but he’s excited to take them on. Colonel Jeff Ritzman was named the sixteenth Chief of the Iowa State Patrol last week following the retirement of Michael Van Berkum. The 58-year-old Ritzman is a native of Dubuque.
He was later promoted to lieutenant and served as commander of the Patrol’s District 1 office in Des Moines. For the past two years, he’s been the executive officer to Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Roxann Ryan. Ritzman will supervise more than 350 Iowa State Patrol troopers and other employees.
The State Patrol had roughly $1.5 million slashed from its budget as part of $100 million in state budget cuts for the current fiscal year. Another challenge Ritzman faces is improving motorist safety. Last year, 402 traffic deaths were recorded in the state – up from 316 the previous year.
