The Wapello Police Department will be no more come April 1st. The Louisa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a 28E agreement on February 22nd between the City of Wapello and the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office to merge the two departments. Five days earlier the Wapello City Council had approved the same agreement.

The 10-year contract stipulates that the city will pay roughly $222,000 per year in years one through four. In year four the cost will also include any additional salary and benefit increases for that year with year five through 10 including an annual cost set on the previous year’s amount plus any additional annual salary or benefit increases. An amount of $12,000 from the total sum will be set aside yearly to purchase a new law enforcement vehicle every four years. The amount is estimated on the cost to pay two full-time officers. The police department’s two full-time officers, one part-time officer and city reserve officers will move to those positions at the county level and nearly all of the city’s law enforcement equipment will be transferred to the county.

The 28E agreement struck between Wapello and the Sheriff’s Office is the same as the other communities in Louisa County except that the Sheriff’s Office is required to provide 75 hours of contact per week.