Jones County sheriff presents 28E agreement to provide interim police coverage in Anamosa

The Anamosa City Council reviewed and approved a 28E intergovernmental agreement with the Jones County Sheriffs Department to provide interim law enforcement coverage while the city addresses police staffing shortages. The agreement was presented by Jones County Sheriff Greg Robert, who described how deputies have been covering calls in Anamosa and the mechanics of reporting and billing under the arrangement.

Sheriff Greg Robert said the county had been providing coverage "for about 3 weeks now," at times covering up to 12 hours a day, and explained a proposed fee structure that would track hours the sheriffs office spends in the city: "$35 an hour" generally, increasing to "$50" if coverage exceeded 40 hours in a given period. He also walked the council through recordkeeping and open-records responsibilities, noting that "the holder of the information is the one responsible for its release" under the chapter referenced in his remarks. Council members asked for clarification about schedules, staffing and how the county would rein in coverage as Anamosas staffing recovers; the sheriff said the county would coordinate schedules with the city administrator and sergeant Brokaw.

A council member moved to accept the 28E agreement and the motion carried on roll call. The city administrator and council emphasized that the contract is intended as a temporary measure while the city completes its hiring and that the agreement could be adjusted or ended as staffing levels changed. The board scheduled the intergovernmental agreement to go before the Jones County Board of Supervisors as part of the next steps noted by Sheriff Robert.