Board approves annual law-enforcement contract with Minneapolis

The Des Moines County Board of Supervisors voted Feb. 17 to approve the annual law-enforcement contract with the city of Minneapolis that authorizes the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office to provide patrol and response services for the incorporated city.

Board Chair presented the contract and the sheriff’s office described the relationship as an annual arrangement in which "each incorporated city within the county is required to provide their own law enforcement or to contract with the sheriff's office," and said the county both contracts a set number of hours and responds to calls and investigations as needed. The sheriff's office representative told the board the agreement is a long-standing arrangement and that officials believe Minneapolis is satisfied with the service.

Why it matters: Several small incorporated cities in Des Moines County rely on contract policing rather than maintaining a city police department. Approving these agreements keeps routine patrol coverage and sheriff responses authorized for the coming fiscal year.

The board called for a motion, which was moved and seconded, and individual supervisors answered in the affirmative during roll-call. The motion carried and the contract was adopted.

What’s next: The approved contract will be filed with county administration as the law-enforcement arrangement for Minneapolis for the coming fiscal year.