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Police chief presents memorandum of understanding with neighboring city for training and assistance
Summary
Alice police chief briefed the council on a memorandum of understanding with the City of Al Furios to allow officer training exchanges and mutual assistance; the chief described it as an MOU rather than an interlocal agreement and said it can be rescinded by chiefs.
The City of Alice police chief described a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the City of Al Furios during the Oct. 14 council meeting, saying the agreement formalizes how the two agencies will provide training and mutual assistance.
"They wanted some guidance on certain areas, and we were able to provide it," the chief said, describing reciprocal training and instances in which officers from Al Furios would travel to Alice for instruction. He said Al Furios "has already passed their MOU" and that Alice officers will provide training in subjects such as investigations and tactical entries.
City staff emphasized the distinction between an MOU and a binding interlocal agreement. City attorney John Lemon said the document "isn't an interlocal agreement where you guys have to vote on [it] ... it lies out an understanding of how services are gonna be provided if they are provided." Lemon said interlocal agreements typically are used when funds exchange hands or specific services are contracted.
Council members asked about the size of the Al Furios force. The chief replied that Al Furios "has 14 officers, to include the chief, if I'm correct," and said the arrangement is chiefly for training rather than deploying Alice officers to patrol in that jurisdiction. The chief and city manager also discussed regional grant opportunities that can result from cooperative agreements.
No formal council vote was recorded on the MOU during the meeting; staff presented the MOU to inform council and to seek direction about moving forward with a formal signature if required.
