Council will provide Sioux City police for RAGBRAI

Tue July 18 2006
Posted Jul 18, 2006
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By Lynn Zerschling Journal staff writer Sergeant Bluff now can borrow Sioux City police officers to assist with enforcement matters including this weekend's RAGBRAI event. On Monday the Sioux City council approved a law enforcement mutual aid agreement with the city of Sergeant Bluff to allow the Woodbury County town to officially request police assistance for a variety of matters. "We don't think RAGBRAI-ers were criminals," Mayor Pro Tem Dave Ferris said. Ferris was filling in for Mayor Craig Berenstein who is on vacation and Mayor Pro Tem Jason Geary who was representing the city at a function in Des Moines. Assistant City Attorney Connie Anstey added, "It was so criminals wouldn't know where forces were deployed." She was referring to the council's decision last week involving a closed door meeting to discuss the proposed agreement. After going into executive session, the council concluded the discussion did not meet the requirements of the Iowa open meetings law and adjourned that session. "RAGBRAI was one of the reasons they requested this," she said of Sergeant Bluff. The agreement spells out how and when Sioux City would provide police officers to help cover emergency events and scheduled civic events, such as the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. The agreement establishes liability issues and chain of command. In addition, the pact also allows Sioux City to request such assistance from Sergeant Bluff should the need arise. "Are we considering entering into this type of agreement with South Sioux City and North Sioux City?" Councilman Jim Rixner asked. Anstey replied, "We are not. Our communications center has an interstate agreement" that covers such calls. Instead, the city is considering enacting similar mutual aid agreements with Plymouth and Woodbury counties. City Manager Paul Eckert added, "While RAGBRAI prompted this, it is something we should have had with Sergeant Bluff, Woodbury County and Plymouth County." Under terms of the agreement: Read more here