The Marshalltown City Council on approved the appointment of Annemarie Selness as the new Director of the Marshalltown Parks and Recreation Department. Another highlight of the meeting was an annual report from Marshalltown Police Chief Michael Tupper who says violent crimes were down in 2015 overall after a rocky start to the year. He says drug related crimes and domestic incidents remain a challenge but that crime prevention and public relations remain high priorities for the department.