The Residents in the city of Sheldon will have law enforcement protection thanks to an agreement between the city and the Vernon County Sheriff's Office.
Vernon County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a contract between the city and county that will allow the sheriff's office to provide limited law enforcement services in the city.
The contract has long been a "dream" of Sheldon Mayor Jerod Lamb, who said he had "tried to get this done before," but things just didn't work out.
The country still needs the Sheldon City Council's approval, but Lamb said he was certain the board of aldermen would accept the contract during its next meeting May 9.
Under the terms of the contract, one deputy would be available within the city limits a total of 12 hours per week. The deputy must be certified in Missouri and have "no less than 470 hours" of post certification training"
The deputy working in Sheldon will have a responsibility to patrol, investigate, take reports and enforce city ordinances and still be available to respond to calls outside the city if the need arises. The city will fund the position, but will not be billed for any calls made outside the city limits.
The deputy also will be working out of the old police station, so residents can go there to speak with him or her or file a complaint.
Having a local office will cut down on travel for the sheriff's office as well as residents of the city. It will also provide the deputy with a place to complete reports and perform other administrative duties.
Northern Commissioner Neal Gerster questioned where any money generated in the city would go. Mosher told him those funds will go into the general fund as part of the sheriff's budget.
Southern Commissioner Everett Wolfe was curious to know if some of the other smaller cities in the county would want the service. Mosher said he was "not sure," but he thought the contract would benefit Sheldon and the county. The sheriff told the commission he doesn't expect to profit from the arrangement, but he doesn't want it be a burden for the county or cost the county any money.
Lamb said the contract will benefit the city in more ways than one. The presence of a deputy at unknown hours will deter vandalism and should help with speeding, which can be a problem near the school.
Lamb also said that he would like to see a deputy spend more hours in Sheldon in the future, but it is going to take a while before anyone knows if that is possible.
As a part of Vernon County, the sheriff's office already provides law enforcement to Sheldon, but that also is shared with other cities and towns that don't have their own police force, as well as the unincorporated communities and rural areas.
Lamb also said that any revenue that comes as a result of the contract would be a big help to the city. He said that the city aldermen and mayor have foregone their salaries for several years so the city could operate in the black, and it does. Lamb said he is glad to finally have some protection for the residents of his town.
