City votes to continue Minnehaha Sheriff’s Department contract as is

by Carrie Moritz, Gazette

            On Monday, the Garretson City Council's regular meeting was dominated by a debate on the contract presented to the city by the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Department, which was identical to prior years except for a $4,000 cost increase. However, some councilors were concerned the city was not receiving the services desired with relation to police visibility and connection with the community, a complaint that has been lodged many times over the past several years.

            The conversation happened in two parts, first, after the sheriff's department representative gave his report, and later, during the budget hearing.

            Minnehaha County Sheriff's Captain Joe Bosman was in attendance to speak with the council, presenting his arguments for how deputies are serving the community. He and Mayor Greg Beaner both apologized for the breakdown in communication that has occurred over the past year, leading to issues such as a lack of reports, a lack of department representation at council meetings, and reduced deputy visibility around the community.

            Capt. Bosman began with a report to the council, pointing out that that trends county-wide show theft continues to rise, and that it often goes hand-in-hand with drug use.

            "They're stealing stuff to feed a drug habit...if we find somebody with stolen property, oftentimes they have some sort of narcotics on their person as well," he said.

            According to Bosman, the department has also seen an increase in irresponsible use and discharge of firearms, something that used to be rare but has been on the rise.

            "We stay on top of that in the rural communities," he said. "We understand that firearms are very big in South Dakota and rightfully so, it's just that unfortunately, some people don't respect the use of firearms."

            He then encouraged residents to keep firearms out of vehicles and to lock their doors to ensure their firearms weren't stolen.

            When asked about traffic violations and whether they were on the rise, Capt. Bosman noted it tends to rise and fall. He pointed out that the sheriff's department has speed trailers that are available for use which collect and retain data, which helps to "paint a realistic picture of what is going on." He said that sometimes, perception indicates a rise, but the data shows differently.

            The council then moved into questions about the number of hours that are contracted, which is a minimum of 187 hours per month. This works out to around 43 hours per week, or two shifts of three hours each day.

            Councilor Dave Bonte, who brought up the issue at the special meeting held on July 31, pointed out on Monday that costs equal out to approximately $42 per hour. "That's not out of line," he said, "considering the way everything is going...it just seems like a big number for Garretson, for me."

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