Maybe it is time to review the merits of joint law It was great to hear a presentation on our Sheriff’s Department canine unit Tuesday.Not only was it nice because of the impressive effect the dog, Tarzan, seems to have had on local crime — but it was fun because we don’t hear a lot of statistical information or reports from the department, and I wish we would.Law enforcement is always a line of work that attracts the public eye, and, for some city of Luverne leadership, that focus has turned to whether the department should be a joint power between Rock County and the city.They say the department hasn’t quite exemplified the elements of “community policing,” which was supposed to be implemented after special training last year. Those perceived missing elements of community-style policing are part of why some city people are questioning the joint law enforcement arrangement with Rock County.They feel that the city got better service when the departments were separate — with the sheriff serving the county, and the police chief serving the city.If the departments were separated again, the city could control or implement programs, like the canine unit, which has gotten good public reaction. The city could control the department because a chief of police isn’t an elected position — the chief answers to the city council as an employee.The council could require the chief to walk Main Street during business hours, and force his officers to take separate coffee breaks — both things would be favorable from a visibility standpoint.The same people who are interested in reverting back to a separate city and county law enforcement style think Luverne would save money.In 2003, the city of Luverne paid $394,720, and is expected to pay $446,852 next year for its law enforcement contract with Rock County.I’m not quite ready to believe that the city of Luverne could save money by having its own department, however. Those who think joint law should remain in place hold up Deputy Ken Baker and Tarzan as an example. Neither the city nor the county could afford the program that together they could.Also, the city and county alone probably couldn’t afford the manpower dedicated solely to investigating crimes, as we have in place now with Jeff Wieneke.With all these issues floating around about law enforcement, I hope our leaders can come to the correct conclusion. We don’t want a team like Deputy Baker and Tarzan to be a distant memory because of a lack of funding. But we also want to ensure that they aren’t the only part of the department that is visible to the public.
