2022.04.18 CC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Hugo City Council Meeting Minutes for April 18, 2022 Page 2 of 5 He thanked the Council for their support over the years and introduced the Hugo Deputies: Sergeant Joe Zerwas, Detective Lee Mars, and Deputies Greg Reiter, Alex Loiland, Isabella Curtis, Ross Peterson, Jeff Workman, and Shawn Irvin. Also in attendance at the meeting was Chief Deputy Doug Anschutz and Patrol Commander Tim Harris. Starry reviewed the expenses that make up the contract cost of $1,240,324.73 annually, which included the State Aid Credit. He explained their focus on recruitment and employee wellness, and talked about the CORE program, which is employee driven and available to all employees and the families. Starry presented statistics that that showed traffic stops to be down and DWI slightly up from 2020, and he explained they enforce when they must but try to use traffic stops as an educational opportunity. He emphasized they patrol 24/7, and he provided calls by hour data that showed the hours between 3-6 p.m., when people are coming home from work and school, to be their highest call load. There were 471 mental health calls in 2021 county-wide, and 172 of them were in Hugo. He said the calls for persons in crisis have increased all over the nation. In 2021, there were seven overdoses in Hugo with three fatalities. He said the deputies carry naloxone that is saving lives during opioid overdoses. Starry talked about recent car break-ins at the daycares explaining they are crimes of opportunity if valuables are left in cars. He warned not to leave key FOBs in vehicles. Resident burglaries went from 19 to 20 last year, and commercial burglaries had decreased by 36% to 7 in Hugo. Starry showed the maps that tracked data and explained how they follow this data and provide special enforcement in specific areas. He explained how they response to trends. They now have a therapy dog in the process of being certified. Social workers are partnered with deputies and do follow up care, and it is likely theses services will be expanded. He talked about the MORE/MOUD program to address opioid abuse by pairing up social workers to attend to those in mental health and addiction crisis saying it cost less to break the cycle than put them in jail. He said they partner with the Betty Ford Clinic and Hazelden, and it has been a very successful program. Starry presented Sergeant Joe Zerwas with a Certificate of Appreciation for his 25 years with the Sheriff’s Office. Mayor Weidt encourage people to call 911 instead of putting it on social media. Starry added that the same dispatch crew that answers the non-emergency line answers 911 calls. Miron talked about policing changing over the years and the added services that people don’t see. He asked about how training had changed. Starry responded they look for training that reflects what the community wants and needs are. They train in diversity, equity, and inclusion to make sure policies and procedures follow laws and reflect what the community needs.