WATERLOO - Waterloo's police chief will remain on the job while he is under investigation in connection with an assault complaint.

Chief Thomas Jennings was in his office at the Waterloo Police Department this morning, and Mayor Tim Hurley said the chief will remain working.

"We take allegations seriously, but these are just allegations. Tom remains on the job," Hurley said.

The Black Hawk County Attorney's Office has asked the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to look into an assault complaint involving Jennings.

The complaint, which was lodged by a Waterloo resident, was the result of a reported assault incident that allegedly occurred Wednesday night in Waterloo, when Jennings would have been off duty.

The DCI was called in to avoid any apparent conflict of interest if local authorities investigated the matter.

In order to further avoid the appearance of a conflict, the Black Hawk County Attorney's Office likely will ask a prosecutor from another county to review the investigation's findings to determine if charges are warranted, County Attorney Tom Ferguson said.

Jennings, a career Waterloo police officer and investigator, was appointed chief in 2000 by then-Mayor John Rooff. Jennings suffered a heart attack in June 2004, but he eventually returned to duty.

In 2005, a majority of unionized police officers expressed no confidence in him by a vote of 85-15, over undisclosed issues predating his heart attack.

Following that vote, and after what was characterized as frank discussions, Mayor Tim Hurley, Jennings and representatives of the Waterloo Police Protective Association publicly resolved to improve communications among themselves to address the undisclosed concerns.

Most recently, Jennings and his department have appealed for cooperation from citizens and neighborhood associations and redoubled efforts quell a spate of gun violence in the city.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or Jeff.Reinitz@wcfcourier.com