Des Moines Police Guild President Russ Stuth has announced he will not run for Police Guild President again after his term is up at the end of February.

Stuth said the shooting death of Rosie in November- and the subsequent letter from the guild asking for Mayor Bob Sheckler’s resignation- was not the reason he is choosing not to run.

“It’s time to retire from law enforcement. It’s time for someone else to step up (and lead the guild),” Stuth said.

Stuth has been a police officer for 31 years, and a part of the Des Moines Police Guild since it was created in 1995.

Before the end of the year, Stuth, acting as the guild president, sent a letter to Sheckler demanding his resignation from the city council because of comments he made to the media regarding the investigation into the shooting death of a dog by Des Moines Police.

In a cover letter to the resignation letter Stuth said, “it is important Bob (Mayor Sheckler) knows how the majority of the guild feels about his talking points to the media.”

Stuth’s announcement that he will not run for guild president comes shortly after the guild said they were not going to comment any further on the letter asking for Sheckler’s resignation and that they did not have any plans to continue the meeting between the guild and Sheckler to discuss the guild’s demand that he resign.

A meeting between Sheckler and the guild on Jan. 7 was cut short when Stuth got a call a witness had been found in a murder case he is investigating.

This raises the question of whether or not the rest of the guild was supportive of the letter. The guild has not spoken to that point, beyond what Stuth states in his cover letter.

After announcing his departure from guild leadership Stuth declined to discuss the letter, except to say it has been a hard time for everyone.
There will not be an election process for the new guild president, as the election would have been between Stuth and one other person. The new guild president has not been publically announced yet.

Sheckler said he is working to set up a meeting next week between himself and the new guild president. Even though the guild has become silent about the letter, Sheckler still has some unanswered questions.

“I am and always have been very supportive of our police department,” Sheckler said, “but when I see a problem I feel obligated to address it.”

The three issues he still wants to see addressed are whether or not a vote was taken of the guild members before sending the letter and whether or not the guild as a group has addressed their demand that he resign.

Sheckler also said he wants to know what was meant by the threat at the end of the letter.

At the end of the letter demanding Sheckler’s resignation it states, “we believe your refusal to rectify the damage you’ve created will be met with significant opposition throughout the remainder of your term and in the future.” Which Sheckler described as, “one hell of a threat.”

Sheckler did say despite recent incidents and disagreements between the city and the guild that people need to know the police officers Des Moines still have their safety and best interests at heart.

“The citizens of Des Moines need to know that our police department is working for their safety and well being,” Sheckler said. “Our city council is committed to ensuring that their safety will never be compromised.

Public safety has always been our number one concern. And I don’t see that ever changing.”