Jasper County extends temporary law enforcement services for Baxter

It has been five months since the City of Baxter’s police chief resigned, which prompted city leaders to request temporary law enforcement services from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. During the July 23 county board of supervisors meeting, those services were extended until the end of the year.

Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty presented the updated contract to the board of supervisors. According to a draft of the contract included in the supervisors agenda, the sheriff’s office agreed to provide law enforcement services for $3,000 per month. Halferty said the contract was agreeable to both parties.

“However, because of my staffing levels, I cannot put a full-time deputy up there right now until we get additional staff hired,” Halferty said. “I talked with the mayor, Doug Bishop, and we verbally agreed through the month of July to continue the original service contract.”

Services will continue on with the updated contract on Aug. 1 and persist until Dec. 31. It is noted in the contract that services will not automatically renew, meaning that if the board wants to continue providing law enforcement services to Baxter it will need to be voted on in a public meeting.

Either the City of Baxter or the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office can terminate the contract earlier by providing written notice prior to the first day of the month. The contract will then terminate at the end of the month following the notice. Halferty also requested one change be made to the contract.

It was stated that the law enforcement coverage contract is a short-term solution with the City of Baxter until it could hire a new police chief within the next four months of the contract being signed. Halferty said by removing this clause it does not mean the city cannot change its mind and hire someone to fill that position.

Providing a full-time staff member from the county sheriff’s office to cover all law enforcement services in Baxter is a possibility, but it is a costly solution. For instance, if someone were to cover the city for 40 hours a week, Halferty estimated it would cost about $150,000 per year.

As stated in the contract, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office would respond to and handle emergency and non-emergency calls for service, investigate traffic complaints and accidents and crimes, enforce traffic violations and perform routine and special patrols as requested by Baxter’s mayor or city council.

All nuisance complaints, municipal infractions, animal complaints and special events, sporting events and street dances will, also be covered by the sheriff’s office. In the event a natural disaster or major crime investigation were to occur, the sheriff’s office may request additional compensation to cover costs.

Bishop told supervisors the City of Baxter is thankful for the sheriff’s office providing law enforcement services. It is also saving the city money.

“It’s a tremendous cost savings to coordinate the sheriff’s office and the county to provide law enforcement,” he said. “If we aren’t able to fulfill this, this agreement we have with the sheriff’s office providing a full-time deputy, we’re going to have to go back out and probably pay premium price to somebody to be our chief.”

For small towns like Baxter, Bishop suggested that cost savings is going to be even more important thanks to the limitations placed on city levies by House File 718. He estimates by 2028 or 2029 small towns across Iowa are going to be in real trouble. It will be “catastrophic” if something doesn’t give, Bishop said.

Former Baxter Police Chief Bill Daggett announced his resignation in February. It was at a time when a number of city employees also resigned, including city clerk Katie Wilson, EMS director Randi Gliem and utility clerk Erin Suttek. Council members had also stepped down from their posts, prompting a special election.