Will Wymore Lose Its Police Department?

By Gordon HopkinsThe Wymore City Council discussed the possibility of creating a law enforcement committee at their first meeting of the year, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. The primary focus of the committee would be to determine what needs to be done to keep the police department in place, or if that is even possible.This is not the first time such a committee has been suggested. Wymore City Attorney Andrew Carothers, told the council, “I think at that point in time when we discussed this issue, it was actually a committee to study the feasibility of continuing to have a police department.” Like most other fields, law enforcement is suffering from a shortage of workers. While the Gage County Sheriff’s Office responds to service calls in Wymore, the city also has its own police department. The Wymore PD has struggled with retaining officers and, in 2022, lost its Police Chief. Impact of that loss is evident in a recent report from the Gage County Sheriff’s Office, which shows a decrease in service calls by the Wymore PD due to decreased manpower and a corresponding uptick in service calls to the Sheriff.Currently, the department is led by Interim Police Chief Jordan Schachtschabel. “Mayor (Collin) Meints and I have discussed this. The problem that we have is not being able to maintain a full staff. That stresses the Sheriff’s Department.” said Carothers. “The problem right now that we have is inability to attract qualified applicants that will stay here and continue to serve the public.”Law enforcement agencies around the country have been forced to raise wages to attract and retain staff, which has put a strain on budgets.“I don’t know how you’re going to maintain a police, a police force where you can provide coverage 24/7,” said Carothers. “Because if the consensus is we need a police force here, then you guys are going to have to relook your budget for the police.” The alternative is to eliminate the police department and contract with the Gage County Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement. Fire Chief Mark Meints said, “There’s a state statute, because you’re a class two city, that says you have to provide a police department or have a contract with local law enforcement.”Councilperson Neil VanBoening did not like that idea, “Well, no disrespect intended towards chief (Gage County Sheriff Millard) Gustafson, but he’s already told us time and time again, he’s not going to come down here to patrol us. This is going to be when it’s convenient.”The purpose of the committee would be to give the public an opportunity for input.“The whole suggestion of the committee is so the public would have the ability to come in while the committee was doing its work and provide input to the committee,” said Carothers. “I understand it’s a sensitive subject, but if you’re going to want to get opinions of people in this community as is as to whether it’s in their best interest to have a police department or have a contract with the County Sheriff’s Department, that needs that certainly needs to be discussed.” While VanBoening did not object to public meetings, he did express a concern, “If we’re going to try to maintain the police department then we need to do some brainstorming, thinking outside the box, where people can talk, discuss ideas and not have to have them tried out in the public and have them discounted before they even get discussed.” No action was taken at the meeting but a possible law enforcement committee is on the agenda again for tonight’s city Council meeting, Wednesday, January 18.

1.18.23

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