City/County law enforcement consolidation considered

August 7, 2008

Marshalltown, Iowa - The following is a media release developed jointly by the City Administrator's Office for Marshalltown and the Marshall County Sheriff's Office.

PRESS RELEASE
(Consolidation of Law Enforcement - 08/07/2008)

With the announcement that Chief Lon Walker is returning to military duty, several County and City officials thought that discussion should take place about potential consolidation of law enforcement between Marshall County and the City of Marshalltown. The two governmental entities already share substantial public safety services, like combined 911 Dispatch, Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force and Emergency Management. Initial discussions developed and it was decided to do a brief study of the agency operations and budget to see if it would be feasible to combine the city's law enforcement under a mutual agreement within the Sheriff's Office.

A number of issues and concerns were raised. While some issues could be addressed fairly easily, other issues were proving to be more complex than initially anticipated.

There was clear financial savings to be realized in some areas. However, there were other areas where costs were likely to rise. The scope of those cost increases are rather difficult to define without contributing considerable time and much deeper study.

The discussions have caused some concern and distraction in the two affected agencies. A study spanning a longer period of time could increase those distractions and thus cause greater long-term negative impact on the overall safety of the community.

The discussions have produced suggestions of further ways to enhance cooperation and sharing between the Marshall County Sheriff's Office and Marshalltown Police Department. Both, Sheriff Ted Kamatchus and City Administrator Dick Hierstein have made it clear that those suggestions will be pursued in the future.

The purpose of this Media Release is to formalize the announcement that further consideration of a complete consolidation, between the two agencies, is being discontinued. Again, it is important to note that a less formalized study of what operational areas can be shared will continue.

We would like to thank all those who provided the input into this study. It is important to ensure that the citizens receive the best service possible from government. Studies like this allow all aspects to be researched and therefore we are able to provide the highest level of law enforcement protection possible to our community as a whole.

Sheriff Ted G. Kamatchus and City Administrator Dick Hierstein

About Marshall County Sheriff's Office
The Marshall County, Iowa Sheriff's Office is headed up by Sheriff Ted G. Kamatchus. Sheriff Kamatchus is committed to keeping communities and neighborhoods safe in Marshall County.

For additional information or a sample copy, contact:
Sheriff Ted G. Kamatchus
Marshall County Sheriff's Office
641-754-6380
Fax 641-754-6325
Sheriff@co.marshall.ia.us
www.marshallcountysheriff.com

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