BALLWIN, Mo. — The Ballwin Police Department names a new police chief after several months of the position vacancy.
The new chief of police has been announced as Chief John Bergfeld, the department said.
Chief Bergfeld has been a part of the Ballwin department since 1997. He has worked as a patrolman, school resource officer, community affairs sergeant, road lieutenant, accreditation manager, assistant chief of police, and captain within the department, according to a statement the department released.
This comes after former Police Chief Douglas Schaeffler was fired from the job in 2023 for "personnel matters." Schaeffler has since filed a lawsuit against the city's board of aldermen, accusing them of violating state law.
Since that time, Chief Bergfeld has been the acting police chief.
![[1/6 10:40 AM] Reynolds, Genell
To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku, Amazon Fire](https://media.ksdk.com/assets/KSDK/images/cf588eef-0a0b-4584-ad33-1ec96954d366/cf588eef-0a0b-4584-ad33-1ec96954d366_1920x1080.jpg)