BY ROXIE Murphy

ADVOCATE Staff Writer

rmurphy@wardpub.com

BELLE — Belle aldermen on Feb. 8 approved a new Maries County Sheriff’s Department police services contract that has the option to continue automatically or be updated from year-to-year. The city will pay $175,116 along with half of the ticket revenue in compensation. That amount is up from the $157,372 that the city paid the previous year.

As Mayor Josh Seaver introduced the contract, he asked the board if there was anything they didn’t like about the coverage.

“Somebody needs to follow through about the nuisance thing,” said Alderman Jeanette Struemph.

The other aldermen agreed that they had similar concerns.

“That’s the same concern I have had,” another alderman said. “We struggled so much with previous law enforcement when that was an issue. So why would we not hold the law enforcement we have now to the same standards?” 

Aldermen argued that the sheriff’s department is hired to provide police coverage and nuisance violations are part of that.

“If we were allowed to do it on our own, if we were allowed to do tickets, we could do that,” Struemph said.

Former mayor Steve Vogt was also at the meeting and said they had previously consulted with the city’s attorney about the mayor writing citations for nuisance violations and were told it was a liability issue and depended on how the ordinance and state statute governerning the situation is interpreted. 

Alderman Fred Bethamann said he is familiar with police procedure, having served 20 years as a military policeman.

“Police actually have a lot of down time when they are sitting and observing,” Bethmann said. “Usually they are just sitting and BSing with somebody or taking care of personal business. If it’s necessary to hammer on who the chain of command is, and say ‘hey, you guys need to do this.’”

Alderman agreed that they have tried to encourage the chain of command to help with nuisances and that sheriff’s department said they weren’t going to.

Currently Seaver has been observing and creating letters to send out to citizens who are in violation of the nuisance code.

“I dropped the ball,” Seaver said. “They haven’t not written a ticket that we have asked them to write.”

Aldermen agreed it is a lot of work and Seaver does have a fulltime position elsewhere from the city.

Bethmann said it wouldn’t take a whole lot to see an improvement.

Stuemph suggested the aldermen help the mayor collect the nuisance violations. Major Scott John with the Belle Police Division had also informed the board at the meeting where they negotiated the contract that the department would write nuisance tickets if they city recommended.

The board also discussed that John was open about helping the city to rebuild its police department.

Highlights of the contract include:

Police services will be effective Feb. 1, 2022, and as long as this contract remains in effect, the sheriff will provided services to the city. Services include 20 hours of dedicated daily police coverage; sheriff agrees to enforce city ordinances and state statutes; answer calls for service; city agrees and understand dedicated patrols may be called to assist outside of city limits in emergencies or staff shortages.

The city will not be billed for law enforcement dispatch services, jail usage, issuance of subpoenas, prisoner transport.

City agrees to continue nuisance abatement violations via elected marshal’s office or city officials with sheriff’s assistance with summons, reports. 

Sheriff will provide vehicles, equipment, training, gasoline, computers, office incidentals, officie equipment and evidence storage necessary to provide services.

The sheriff and deputies have the power to enforce city ordinances and will receive a copy of all ordinances and amendments. However, the sheriff shall focus on criminal investigations, buty may assist on other violations if neglected, deemed a violation, or requested.

The contract agreement shall be for one year and remain in full effect unless terminated by either the city or the sheriff. It will automatically extend for an additionally year Feb. 1 each year.

 After the board reviewed the contract, Struemph said she could justify the increase as they are trying to pay officers a competitive wage and it is still low overall.

The board approved the contract with a 4-0 vote.