Elkader Police Chief discusses debate surrounding third squad car

By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register

How many police squad cars is enough? 

Elkader Police chief Mitch Seitz recently gave his assessment on the current condition of the department’s 2017 Ford SUV to the city council, advocating for its replacement—a move that would keep the department’s total at three vehicles.

The city council obliged, including the purchase of a new squad car in the most recent budget, which passed with unanimous support. 

According to Elkader City Administrator Jennifer Cowsert, the new squad car will cost around $48,300 and be paid for by using the city’s debt service levy, which is essentially property taxes. 

Mayor Josh Pope defended the purchase, saying, “Our police work is no longer sitting at the bakery corner for hours, and then switching to another location in town and then back to the bakery corner. Police work has changed because society has changed…There is crime and violence and drugs in every community—no matter what size. So, I fully support the recommendations of our police chief to outfit the department the best way he sees.” 

Seitz sees a third squad car as the best way. Some have questioned necessity, though.

According to a 2016 police survey, the issue of squad cars, as well as the need for even three full-time officers, was questioned. 

One respondent noted, “In a town as small as Elkader, three full-time officers are not needed. We used to do it with two officers and part timers, and they did a fine job.” 

Another was just as vocal, describing how, when Elkader had 1,600 residents, which it is currently well below, there was only one squad car, and that “got the job done.” 

Now, a short five years later, Elkader has three full-time officers and three squad cars, despite a decline in population and low crime rate. 

Why does Seitz believe a replacement is necessary and that officers should have their own squad car? It starts with the mechanical issues of the 2017 Ford SUV, which has cost between $600 and $650 to replace some coils and spark plugs, according to Seitz. He’s concerned these issues could lead to greater ones before a replacement is received. 

There is also the issue of mileage. Under the current rotational schedule, each vehicle should be replaced every four to five years and around 100,000 miles. The 2017 Ford SUV only has about 50,000 miles on it, but because of previous mechanical issues, Seitz believes it is imperative to replace it before those issues compound.

It takes about six months for a replacement squad car to arrive, since they’re on back order due to COVID-19, so purchasing one now is a hedge against potential consequences of not doing it. 

Secondly, and more importantly, it’s about the quality of service the police department can offer with three squad cars. In Seitz’s view, three squad cars helps achieve a comprehensive approach and serves as a preventive measure more than anything else. It is also an overall benefit to the community. He said the police department is not just about handling crime related matters, but is community oriented. 

Seitz advocated three cars also makes the department more effective, allowing officers to respond to calls quicker and with more preparation for every situation. The trouble of switching cars back and forth is eliminated. 

However, when asked how often the Department has needed all three squad cars at once, or even when backup was needed, Seitz said just “four to five times a year.” Deploying more than one squad car in a typical year happens about “every other month.”

As an example, the recent house fire at 302 Cedar St. required the deployment of all three squad cars for traffic control, though the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office also assisted the department.

Thirdly, Seitz pointed to officer retention as a main goal for why officers should have their own squad car. He noted, when an officer has their own squad car, it incentivizes them to stay.

“We can keep officers here because they care about the community, but this is a big way to keep them here,” he said. 

But when looking at the numbers, this might not be the case. According to statistics provided by Cowsert, “Of the three full-time officers before 2017 (when Seitz took over and before there were three squad cars), one officer was here less than a year, one was here for two years and one was here for four and a half years. Of the full-time officers after 2017, one was here for three months, one was here for one and a half years, officer Bazyn has been here since November 2017 and DeShaw has been here since August 2019.” 

It should be noted that officers DeShaw and Bazyn are originally from the area, so the role their own squad car plays in keeping them in Elkader is debatable. 

This urge to provide personalized vehicles to the officers and a highly competent police department that the community can depend on is part of Seitz’s argument for the third squad car. But the same 2016 survey when there was no third squad car showed 69 percent of residents were “satisfied with the service provided by the police department,” and 58 percent felt the department “had enough staff to be effective,” while 32 percent had “no opinion.” One respondent even suggested the police department was overstaffed. 

But Seitz is adamant that having three squad cars allows the department to be “prepared to do what they need to do,” while also insisting having three will save the town money in the future because they won’t replace vehicles as often.  

“We need to be able to respond to a myriad of things, including emergencies [and] we have to be prepared for what we might have to do,” Seitz said.