Greg Behning takes over as Davenport police chief
Greg Behning became Davenport’s police chief June 14, 2026, completing the transition that began when Chief Jeffery Bladel retired in March.
The City of Davenport selected Behning, a longtime member of the Davenport Police Department, as its next chief. He had served as interim chief from Bladel’s retirement until the permanent appointment took effect.
The change puts a department veteran in charge of Davenport’s police agency and its public-safety operations. Behning’s background includes work across every division of the department, senior leadership as assistant chief and more than two decades with the department’s Emergency Services Team.
A long career in Davenport
Behning has 31 years of service with the Davenport Police Department. During that career, he served in every division of the department, according to the city’s announcement of his appointment.
He had been assistant chief since August 2025. When Bladel retired in March, Behning moved into the interim chief position, giving him responsibility for the department during the period before the city’s permanent selection became effective.
Behning also spent 22 years on the department’s Emergency Services Team. His law-enforcement experience included participation in regional organizations, including the Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group.
That combination of department-wide experience, senior administrative work and emergency-services service distinguishes the path that led Behning to the chief’s office. The appointment is an internal leadership transition involving a chief who has spent most of his career within Davenport’s police department.
What the appointment changes
The police chief is responsible for leading the Davenport Police Department and overseeing the city’s public-safety operations. The position also places Behning in a role connected to regional law-enforcement coordination through the organizations in which he has participated.
For Davenport residents, the immediate change is who leads the department after Bladel’s retirement. Behning’s appointment establishes the permanent leadership arrangement following his interim service.
The city’s announcement identifies Behning’s appointment and professional background. It does not announce a separate policy agenda, staffing plan or budget change tied to the leadership change. Those issues would be distinct from the appointment itself.
Timeline of the transition
Bladel retired in March 2026, creating the leadership opening. Behning then served as interim chief while the city moved to its permanent selection.
The City of Davenport selected Behning as the next chief, with the appointment effective June 14. That date marked the end of his interim period and the start of his tenure as the department’s permanent chief.
Davenport’s public council archive lists meetings continuing after the appointment, including a July 22, 2026 meeting. The archive shows that the city’s regular public business continued after Behning took office, although the appointment announcement does not identify a specific new police initiative or council action connected to that meeting.
Behning now leads the department after advancing through Davenport’s police ranks, from work in each of its divisions to assistant chief, interim chief and finally chief.
Sources
- Greg Behning named next Davenport Chief of Police, City of Davenport
- City Council Meeting Videos, City of Davenport
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