Northern Washington County is looking to increase law enforcement’s presence.

Halfway through last year, the communities of Kalona, Wellman, and Riverside began discussing the possibility of adding law enforcement amid future growth projections. After RAGBRAI came through the northern half of Washington County, they decided to form an official group to oversee informal dialogue. The group is made up of city council members, city officials, and the mayors from Kalona, Wellman, and Riverside, as well as Washington County Sheriff Jared Schneider and Deputy Sheriff Shawn Ellingson.

In the four meetings the group has held, they’ve discussed topics like current law enforcement coverage, growth projections, and possibilities of funding an added officer. The group created a three-year deputy-cost projection. If they were to add another officer to help cover northern Washington County, they estimated it would cost a total of $150,000 for year one, $125,000 for year two, and $131,250 for year three. This projection factors in training, vehicle, equipment, and salary. According to Kalona City Administrator Ryan Slabaugh before making any formal decisions the three cities along with Washington County will have to ensure there is room in the budget.