The Sioux County Board of Supervisors has renewed its longstanding agreement to provide law-enforcement coverage for the City of Chatsworth.
Supervisors approved the $1,650 contract Tuesday. Sioux County Sheriff Nate Huizenga says the agreement is not new, estimating that the county has provided contract coverage for Chatsworth for approximately 15 to 20 years.
Chatsworth’s agreement received separate approval because its signed contract arrived after the county’s other municipal agreements were approved in June. Sheriff Huizenga lays out what the contract is.
“It’s just a continuation of the contracts that we’ve had for several years for coverage.”
Seven Communities Contract With County
Chatsworth is one of seven Sioux County communities that contract directly with the sheriff’s office for law-enforcement coverage.
The others are Boyden, Granville, Hospers, Hull, Matlock and Maurice. The contracts allow the sheriff’s office to provide coverage in communities that do not operate their own police departments or contract with another city’s department.
Larger communities including Hawarden, Orange City, Rock Valley and Sioux Center maintain their own police departments. Alton contracts with the Orange City Police Department, while Ireton contracts with Hawarden.
Huizenga says municipal police departments serve as the primary agencies within their respective communities, but the sheriff’s office can still respond when assistance is needed.
“We assist the police departments whenever they need assistance with a call.”
Deputies also travel through those communities while responding to incidents elsewhere and may assist with investigations. The sheriff’s office’s civil division also serves legal papers throughout Sioux County.
Huizenga says deputies are generally more active in the seven contract communities and rural areas than in cities with their own police departments.
Tuesday’s approval keeps the county’s longstanding coverage arrangement with Chatsworth in place.
