Community Relations Officer

The Urbandale Police Department uses various available resources to prevent crime, be involved with the community, and enhance public relations.  The Community Relations Officer(s) assist in developing, organizing, and implementing community involvement activities and crime prevention programs targeted at reducing the opportunity for crime to occur. 

The Community Relations Officer(s) works to establish liaisons within existing community organizations as well as assisting in establishing new community groups as needed.  

Officer Pickett & Officer Cowden offer educational presentations to the community on a variety of topics; plan, coordinate and host community events including National Night Out and Trunk-or-Treat; communicate with the public through the use of various social media platforms; and instruct educational programs for all both adults and youth including Citizens Police Academy, Culture of Integrity and Safety City.

The Community Relations Team Motto: OURS "Our Unity Represents Strength" 

Pickett

Officer Holly Pickett

Officer Pickett started her law enforcement career in northeast Iowa and became a certified officer in 2007. She began serving the Urbandale community in 2010 where she has been assigned to the Patrol and Support Services Divisions.  She has acted as a Tobacco and Alcohol Compliance Officer, Field Training Officer and Domestic Violence Instructor and Technical Accident Investigator.  Officer Pickett currently serves as the department’s Community Relations Officer, is assigned to the Honor Guard and is a R.A.D. Instructor.  Officer Pickett’s favorite part of her current role is teaching Culture Of Integrity to the sixth grade students of Urbandale and acting as the department's Public Information Officer.  In her free time Officer Pickett enjoys fishing, camping, sewing and watching her favorite MLB team, the Chicago Cubs

Megan Cowden

Officer Meagan Cowden

Officer Cowden has been a certified Police Officer since 2008. Officer Cowden joined the Urbandale Police Department in 2017. Officer Cowden worked as a Patrol Officer from 2017 to 2022 when she moved to the Support Services Division and began her role as a Community Relations Officer. Officer Cowden is a Field Training Officer, a Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructor, a R.A.D Instructor, and is a Crime Scene Investigator. Officer Cowden is also on the Peer Support Team and has been assigned to the Honor Guard. Officer Cowden has a bachelors degree in Criminology from the University of Northern Iowa.  Officer Cowden enjoys spending time with her family in her free time and traveling.