WS - C - Law Enforcement Assessment - Final Report

Final Recommendations: Currently, the value of services offered by Sheriff Kunkel’s proposal for the City of Tiffin is a great value for the money and should be continued for the time being. At a minimum, any attempt to implement a Tiffin Police Department, on any level, should not be initiated until the City is willing to hire a total of 7 or more officers. Based upon preliminary projections from the costs table on page 7, July 1, 2026, or fiscal year 2027, is the earliest implementation a stand-alone department could be introduced which would then allow for proper coverage accounting days off, sick leave, etc. There is an undeniable depth of the potential level of services contracting services with the Sheriff’s Office may offer, however, based upon the past and current calls for service, the value of this depth is vague and rarely utilized based upon Tiffin’s current needs. Tiffin has historically not suffered from serious crime wages or violent crimes, so while depth exists to the experience of sheriff’s office personnel and services, Tiffin has generally not utilized this depth. Determining the value of these unused services is also difficult because in the event of a major crime Tiffin, like most smaller law enforcement agencies in Iowa, could utilize services from the Iowa Department of Public Safety in addition the skills and certifications hiring a more seasoned workforce would provide. By the end of FY 31, the cost savings to implementing a stand-alone police department would be in excess of $100,000 annually based upon current projections. A majority of the Council indicated he or she would strongly consider an independent police department if the costs for the department were equal to or less than the price for contracted services. As stated in a previous council meeting, if the City of Tiffin was going to contract services for less monies than it would cost to own their own team, the elected officials would likely not elect their own team. This is without a doubt the current case, Tiffin is not able to provide its own police services more cost effectively than the Sheriff’s Office any sooner than July 1, 2026 based upon current trends and growth. Depending upon what agreements are reached with both parties and what type of growth the City experiences, this date is arbitrary and completely fluid. Ultimately, this will be a matter for future elected City officials and is unlikely to happen or gain much traction for the next few years. The immediate needs of the community revolve around capital projects and infrastructure. Only after these necessities have been addressed should Tiffin proceed with potentially creating a police department. 15 | P a g e