He started as a patrol officer 28 years ago, in 1993, and since then has held a variety of positions in the department, becoming chief in 2012.
As chief, VenHuizen has overseen several major projects, including building the new police headquarters, upgrading the old radio system, and starting one of the first body camera programs in the Quad Cities.
In his announcement, he says at the beginning of the year he began exploring "future opportunities," but did not mention any possible future plans.