Jasper County to recruit sheriff’s deputy for the City of Baxter

Without any kind of law enforcement officer on staff for the City of Baxter, the small town with a population of less than 1,000 people formed an agreement with Jasper County Sheriff’s Office to provide those crucial services. The county board of supervisors approved the agreement at its Feb. 18 meeting.

Sheriff Brad Shutts presented supervisors with a 28E agreement for contracted law enforcement services, which would begin July 1. Unlike the prior agreement already in place between the county and city — which provides only temporary services — this new agreement allows more law enforcement presence.

“Right now we’re doing contract law enforcement, just not at a guaranteed 40 hours of actual physical time up there,” Shutts said. “…It is already in the budget for that additional deputy with the income this contract brings. The first year, I believe, is $130,416. But they are giving us a bunch of equipment to help us out.”

According to a copy of the agreement in the supervisors agenda, the kinds of equipment that will be given to the sheriff’s office include two mobile radios, four portable radios, three computers, firearms owned or loaned to Baxter, tint and sound meter, breath tests, a handheld mini-radar, bolo wraps and five tasers.

Costs for the deputy include: the annual salary of $70,630; health insurance for $22,000; vehicle costs including insurance and fuel and other equipment for a combined $26,000; IPERS for $6,011; FICA for $5,403; and $372 for long-term disability. In total, this amounts to $130,416.

Quarterly payments will be billed to Baxter. Also included in the agreement were projected three-year cost increases. By fiscal year 2027, the fee for Baxter will increase by 6 percent to $140,621. The next year it will increase by 3 percent to $144,840. The year after that it will increase by 3 percent to $149,185.

The deputy assigned to Baxter will work a minimum average of 40 hours per week within the incorporated area. The sheriff’s office still reserves the right to reassign a deputy at any time to an emergency call outside of the incorporated area of Baxter. Services will also be provided seven days a week.

Apart from routine patrols in Baxter, the deputy will also enforce state laws and investigate and follow up crimes. The city and its attorney will be responsible for all municipal code violations and dangerous building offenses. Traffic and vehicle violations and public offenses will be filed by the sheriff’s office.

If the city is to hold a special event such as RAGBRAI or Baxter Fun Days during the term of this agreement, the cost of additional law enforcement necessary to provide coverage during these events — as determined by the sheriff’s office and approved by the city — shall be covered by Baxter as reimbursement.

The deputy will have access to the Baxter Police Department building.

Shutts said the Baxter City Council had already approved the 28E agreement by the time he presented it to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors. The sheriff said the position will also be posted internally for anyone who wants to have it. So the deputy for Baxter could be an existing employee.

However, the sheriff’s office would then need to fill that open deputy position. Supervisor Brandon Talsma spoke favorably with the agreement, saying it will benefit Baxter and benefit the sheriff’s office. Talsma suggested finding law enforcement in small towns is an issue in other surrounding counties.

“They’ve struggled over the past years with maintaining a police chief and a workforce up there,” Shutts said of the city, whose police chief and other city staff resigned in early 2024. “It’s not that we hire people easier than what they do, but it just takes a lot off their shoulders and we can take care of them.”