Journal Gazette | 05/15/2006 | Leo-Cedarville ponders... -
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Published on: 5/15/2006
Last Visited: 5/16/2006
Huntertown entered into a similar multiyear contract for a liaison officer with the sheriff's department in November 2004 to rave reviews, said Huntertown council member John Hidy, R-at large.
The town of 1,771 people considered starting its own town marshal program.But providing the training, equipment, benefits and insurance to just one officer would have cost more than $100,000, Hidy said.
And a marshal would not have been available 24 hours a day, seven days a week the way the sheriff's department is.
A town marshal program didn't come with the investigative and support services that a large department could offer, Hidy said.
So Huntertown opted to spend a little more than $65,000 a year and entered into the four-year contract with the sheriff's department, Hidy said.
"It would be very difficult for a marshal with possibly limited investigatory skills," to investigate some of the more complicated crimes, he said.
"You have a full-service police department at your beck and call."
Hidy attended a Leo-Cedarville council meeting May 3 to tout the benefits of the program, he said.