Davenport Names New Police Chief After Former’s Retirement In March

The city of Davenport has selected a new police chief.

According to a press release from the city of Davenport, a new police chief will be sworn in on June 17th.

The city has selected Major Greg Behning to fill the role after former Chief Jeffery Bladel retired in March.

Major Behning has 31 years of experience with the Davenport Police Department and has been Assistant Police Chief since August 2025.

City of Davenport

Major Behning said in the press release:

I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead the Davenport Police Department and to continue to serve each day alongside the exceptional men and women dedicated to our community’s safety. I am excited to continue our strong leadership tradition by building on the partnerships that make a lasting difference in Davenport and advancing improvements that support high‑quality policing.

As Chief, Major Behning will oversee 167 sworn personnel and 29 professional staff.

Besides his work with the Davenport Police Department, Major Behning also served overseas as an instructor for the U.S. Department of State’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program, which involved instructing senior members of national organizations tasked with terrorist incident response.

In Davenport though, during his time with DPD, he's been recognized with awards multiple times, including the Medal of Honor, Combat Bar, Commendation Bar, two Excellent Duty Bars, seven Unit Citation Bars, and a 25-Year Good Conduct Bar.

He will be publicly sworn in as Chief of Police on June 17th during Committee of the Whole at City Hall, which starts at 5:30 p.m.