The City of New Franklin is considering the elimination of its police department. It would instead rely on the Howard County Sheriff’s Department, which in turn, would have a dedicated officer in the southern part of the county. The change is expected to save the city money while bolstering the Sheriff’s Department.

A discussion between the New Franklin Board of Aldermen and newly-elected Sheriff Jeff Oswald took place during the city council’s regular meeting on Monday, January 11.

The move is not unheard of. The city of Vandalia, Missouri is now served by the Audrain County Sheriff’s Department. The change went into effect on January 1. Nearby, the Cooper County Sheriff’s Department is working out a contract to handle law enforcement coverage for Otterville, which is located in the southwest section of the county.

“Some municipalities are going toward having their county cover for their cities,” said New Franklin Mayor Newton Arbogast. 

Sheriff Oswald, who at the time of the meeting had been on the job fewer than two weeks, said the idea is one he would certainly entertain. “What we’d like to figure out is what (New Franklin) would expect, as far as how many hours a week, and what it would realistically cost.” Oswald was elected in November and sworn in on Dec. 31, 2020. Former Sheriff Mike Neal reportedly opposed the measure, citing a shortage of deputies. Currently, the department is two deputies short, but Oswald said he hopes to fill those positions in the coming weeks.

For some time deputies have helped cover New Franklin, which only has one officer. Police Chief Mike Wise is also a full-time officer in Boonville, which leaves the city without local coverage for significant periods of time. In the event an agreement is executed, deputies would be sworn in by the city so they may enforce municipal ordinances.

“I’ve seen Sheriff’s Department vehicles around more than I’ve seen our police officer cars around,” said  Robbey Harvey, New Franklin Ward 2 Alderman. “As long as I’ve lived here whenever we have a police presence we don’t have traffic problems.”

Sheriff Oswald explained that he would need to hire another full-time officer to adequately maintain law enforcement coverage for the New Franklin area.

“Maybe we can compensate the county enough so that they can put on one more officer,” Harvey said.

Such coverage would allow the city to disband its city police department and eliminate associated costs such as liability insurance. The city’s budget for the police department is $95,140.80 for the 2021 fiscal year. The city would also be able to sell off its police vehicles, one of which would likely be turned over to the Sheriff’s Department as part of the compensation. 

“For us, it’s all about the money,” Arbogast said. He explained that the city departments, including police, have already suffered budget cuts.

New Franklin’s current police station would likely act as a substation for the Sheriff’s Department.

“I think it would be mutually beneficial to get you some consistent law enforcement,” said Sheriff Oswald. “You’ve got a lot of issues around here that would benefit from some south Howard County patrol.”

Any such contract between the Sheriff’s Department and the City of New Franklin would have to be approved by the Howard County Commission. Western District Commissioner Mat Freese said he thinks it would be a great deal for New Franklin. Freese lives in the rural New Franklin area, and the city lies within the western district.

“They’re in a position where they really need to do something,” he said. “I really do hope it works out.”

All discussion up to this point has been preliminary, but the parties involved with making a deal have all agreed to pursue the measure. The New Franklin City Council is expected to further discuss the matter at its next meeting on February 8.