By Sara Strong
The Rock County Board of Commissioners and the Luverne City Council left a joint meeting about law enforcement Tuesday split on whether a consulting firm should be paid to help the Sheriff's Department implement community policing.
The Luverne City Council voted unanimously to ask the county to provide community policing standards under the direction of the Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute.
The commissioners took no action, but Ken Hoime said he needed more time to think about options and Ron Boyenga said he was against it.
County Commissioner Jane Wildung spoke in favor of granting the city's request. The city is a partner under joint law and contracts with the county for law enforcement services.
Wildung said that the county has continually invested resources and money on family services, environmental issues and roads and bridges, "But we have not really invested in our law enforcement services. I am very supportive of this concept."
The philosophy of community policing is generally considered to be more proactive than reactive to crime. Communication and working with the public is encouraged.
Dennis Cusick, director of the Institute, said, "It's more than just appearances.... It's more than walking around town and having a D.A.R.E. program. It's an organizational change, not just little things on the surface."
Commissioner Boyenga said he thought most of the outcome of the consultants' work would be superficial and wouldn't help solve the outstanding murder or arson cases.
"I'd like to see what we can do on our own first," Boyenga said, noting that after a recent Sheriff's Department meeting with township residents that an arrest was made because of more open communication.
Wildung said, "Small tweaks aren't going to do the same job as an entire program."
Other than the concept of community policing, the City Council and County Board have to consider costs.
A total cost of $52,900 is proposed by the Institute, which would cover assessing the department, designing a system for the officers, training the officers, consulting with them, evaluating progress and travel, lodging and per diems.
The Institute is offering financial support of up to a maximum of 10 percent of the total cost of the final contract.
The fee for the contract can be paid over two years, and costs outside of the regular Sheriff's Department budget could be levied for.
In previous discussions, the county considered signing up for portions of the contract, which would have a lower total cost.
Principles and practices
Before the city's vote Tuesday, council member David Hauge said he was skeptical coming into the meeting. But he said after hearing the presentation, he was eager to give community policing a try.
"It may help straighten out some problems," he said.
Rock County Sheriff Ron McClure said, "I think it's a good idea - a good concept."
McClure also said he thought his officers would go along with it, even though change in any administration can be difficult.
Cusick said the term "community policing" can sometimes be looked down on by officers who have a long history of being reactive to crimes.
"Instead of thinking, 'Where can I be to catch the next bad guy?' you limit the opportunities for the bad guy," Cusick said,
Cusick is a retired law enforcement officer. He served 33 years in municipal law enforcement, the last 18 years as the Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police for the city of Cottage Grove.
He has worked on community policing for other small law enforcement agencies but hasnÕt yet dealt specifically with combined city and county law enforcement. But, he said, the concepts still hold true for Rock County's situation.
Under his plan, officers would have geographic accountability. That means regular patrols go on as usual, but officers track and keep up on crimes in their assigned regions. This establishes a familiarity and pride in the officers as well as the region.
Cusick said community involvement can be as little as encouraging more communication or as much as citizen education in law enforcement and neighborhood watches.
The old management style of policing, Cusick said, turns both the public and officers away from interaction that is so valuable to crime solving and prevention.
He said the regional accountability allows officers time to check in on homes where noise nuisances have been reported, follow up on restraining orders before they are violated, track areas that are notorious for speeding or check on adequate night lighting in neighborhoods.
The community policing concept also translates to rural areas where officers would do the same preventative and follow-up checks.
Cusick said, "Success of community policing is sometimes measured by intangible things, unfortunately."
He said faith in officers and feelings of increased safety are usually reported after community policing is implemented. "I've seen it work."