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Ames police report on community programs, ARCH partnership and shelter plans; drone unit added
Summary
Police staff reported recruiting needs, community outreach events, ARCH mental‑health response activity, a small unmanned aircraft program and planning for a larger animal shelter and possible pet licensing program.
The Ames Police Department reported staffing needs and program updates to the council on Feb. 5 while highlighting partnerships that aim to reduce demand on patrol officers. Police leadership said the department has several officer and two dispatcher vacancies and is continuing recruitment and testing efforts.
Chief (name not provided) described community outreach programs — national night out, coffee with a cop, school partnerships and neighborhood events — as central to police engagement. The department said it has reintroduced a small unmanned aircraft systems (drone) capability purchased with federal forfeiture funds; staff showed a short deployment demonstration and said the drone supports overwatch, searches and situational awareness and will be available for other city departments when appropriate.
A major area of program focus is the ARCH (alternative response to community health) partnership. Police staff said ARCH handled about 552 calls in the past calendar year, sometimes responding alone and sometimes with officers; ARCH’s budget contribution for calendar 2025 rose in the police presentation from about $102,000 to $132,000 as part of the city allocation. Police and council members described ARCH as a tool that diverts lower‑acuity mental‑health calls from law enforcement and helps connect individuals with social services.
Animal control and shelter planning: staff outlined a plan to pursue a new animal shelter and described a potential property at 2517 Dayton Avenue (the former Eagles Loft) under evaluation for purchase. Staff proposed increasing animal control staffing (converting a 0.75 FTE to full time, adding a 0.3 to 0.5 change and adding an attendant) to support an expanded facility. The department also presented a pet licensing concept for later consideration — a voluntary/mandatory licensing program proposed at roughly $12–$24 per animal per year depending on spay/neuter status — intended to increase microchipping, speed return of lost pets and discourage hoarding; staff said no revenue was included in the current budget pending a policy decision.
Other enforcement items: police reported continued use of enhanced penalties and immediate towing for game‑day parking and said cycle‑welcome weekend enforcement and nuisance party activity remain a focus. Staff also reported declines in some categories (overall accidents and burglaries) and increases in others (domestic violence calls and scams); they emphasized public education on fraud and ongoing partnerships with mental health and social‑service providers.
Ending: Police staff said the department will continue recruiting, return with planning details for the new shelter and work with partners to expand ARCH hours and services where possible.
