CLEAR LAKE – Clear Lake police captain Brandon Heinz has graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command, and the community is recognizing his achievement.
On November 21, 2025, Captain Brandon Heizn, along with twenty-four additional police executives from Iowa, and Minnesota, graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command (SPSC). SPSC is an intensive ten-week program that prepares law enforcement managers for senior positions by uniquely combining academic principles with practical applications. Captain Heinz and his classmates studied topics such as:
- Budgeting
- Contemporary Policing
- Decision Making and Problem Solving
- Employee Relations
- Evaluating Products and Services
- Executive Image
- Grant Writing
- Human Resources
- Leadership and Management
- Media Relations
- Organizational Behavior
- Planning and Policies
- Project Management
- Resource Allocation
- Law Enforcement Statistics
- Traffic Enforcement / Management
The training was held at the St. Paul, Minnesota Police Department’s training facility.
Chief Colby had the following to say about Captain Heinz’s great accomplishment:
“I am very excited for Captain Heinz to have graduated from such a prestigious course. The skills and knowledge he learned will pay dividends for CLPD and our community. Captain Heinz is now even more prepared for the challenges of leading a police department in the 21st century.”
According to the City of Clear Lake, Captain Brandon Heinz (pictured at top on the left, receiving his diploma) grew up in Clear Lake and graduated from Clear Lake High School in 2002. After graduation, Brandon enlisted in the United State Air Force and was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska for 4 years as a Security Forces Patrolman. He deployed to Southwest Asia in 2003 in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch, and Horn of Africa.
In 2008, Brandon graduated from Des Moines Area Community College with a Liberal Arts degree. In 2010 he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Bellevue University (Nebraska). He spent 6 years with the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office as a Correctional Officer and Jail Sergeant.
In 2015, Brandon joined the Clear Lake Police Department and graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2020. He has worked as a Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Field Training Supervisor and is an OWI/Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructor. Brandon has completed Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s Supervision of Police Personnel. He is a member of the Iowa Narcotics Officers Association.
Brandon is married to his wife Kasey. They have three children. He enjoys time with his family, attending his kids’ activities and boating on Clear Lake. Captain Heinz commands the Uniform Patrol Division and the Criminal Investigation Division.