Northwest Iowa town wrestling with losing half its police force

MAPLETON, Iowa (KTIV) – A northwest Iowa metropolis is confronted with a troublesome selection. Shut down the police division or improve the division’s funding.

We traveled to Mapleton Iowa, the place the mayor will now grow to be the appearing police chief. Mayor Brent Streck desires to guarantee his residents: Mapleton could have regulation enforcement protection, however it’s going to look completely different very quickly.

He and the town council should determine if the town ought to keep its personal division. Beginning March 15, Streck will even grow to be the appearing police chief per Iowa regulation, regardless of having no regulation enforcement expertise. That’s as a result of the town’s police chief and one other part-time officer are shifting on to new businesses.

“So we nonetheless have one full time one part-time officer, we’ll fill them in as a lot as we will on the schedule, however then letting the county know when we have now gaps,” mentioned Streck.

Town basically has a number of choices: Let the county take over all policing, largely simply responding to 911 calls. Hold its personal division at added value. Or pay the county to offer some assured policing providers.

If the town wish to maintain its personal police division that might even be an added value the mayor mentioned the town must elevate salaries with a purpose to stay aggressive with different close by regulation enforcement businesses.

“We don’t need to have to lift taxes. However we need to be certain that we have now an enough stage of protection. So there’s that high quality line, we have now to search out,” mentioned Streck.

The mayor mentioned the town would in all probability have to lift its officers’ salaries by $20,000 to stay aggressive. Town spends about $200,000 on policing proper now, however it may cut back prices by paying the Monona County Sheriff’s Workplace to patrol the town, although protection might not be 24/7.

Streck mentioned these contracts can vary from $80,000 to $400,000 a 12 months. He hopes the small-town ambiance may assist recruit new officers. Mapleton’s earlier police chief additionally educated a K9 at his personal expense. The K9 will comply with the chief to his new job.

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