Seitz looks at challenges facing rural departments

National Police Week has been held each year around mid-May since 1962, when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day. The period serves not only as a time to honor those officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, but to recognize all members of law enforcement who continue to serve and protect their communities.

By Willis Patenaude

Though the Elkader Police Department doesn’t do anything specifically to celebrate Police Week, chief Mitch Seitz uses the time to reflect on his fellow officers—those who have passed away or retired, giving their life, both literally and figuratively, to serve the public. He also remembers those who taught him along the way, and sometimes he even gets a plate of cookies or an engraved coffee cup with his name on it from appreciative community members.

Beyond that, Seitz and officer Tyler Bazyn will be policing the neighborhood, continuing what’s already been an eventful year for the department, which is working to replace officer Adam DeShaw, who recently departed to the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office.

It’s important to remember that, despite its statewide appeal, Elkader is still a small town. Like many rural police departments, it faces numerous challenges not associated with larger cities, like access to resources, increased levels of community engagement, differing types of crime, the amount of on-call hours, officer retention and demands of mental health—both of officers and community members.

Unlike officers in larger cities, where specific officers or departments are assigned to specific policing tasks, rural departments cover every aspect or scenario. They do it, more often than not, knowing the person they’re interacting with. It’s here where Seitz will likely be the first to arrive at a traffic collision or suicide attempt, while also filling the role of search and rescue, victim advocate or therapist at the scene of a sex crime, a domestic violence call or a school related incident.

Seitz admitted this aspect can be “immensely draining. Seeing people on a daily basis, on their worst day, especially if you care about them, is not a good thing for your brain.”

While Elkader might be a small town, it’s also not Mayberry. Instead, as pointed out by an article appearing in Crisis, Stress, and Human Resilience: An International Journal in 2022, a small town is a place where “every officer needs to be an empathetic, well-spoke, SEAL-trained ninja, with double majors in psychology and social work.” The article noted the increased level of calls dealing with mental illness, but locally, it’s more than that.

According to Elkader City Administrator Jennifer Cowsert, the department has seen an increased number of calls for issues the public used to address themselves, like neighbor-to-neighbor disputes or complaints. People look to the city, which looks to the police department. Cowsert stated that, while “Elkader is a relatively quiet, nice [and] safe town,” it also has its share of drug, domestic violence and assault calls, while also dealing with accidents, patrol and business and welfare checks.

Throw in other issues mentioned by Seitz, like responding to behavioral issues related to unsafe social media use, and you have an environment and problems that didn’t exist when he graduated from the academy. Seitz cited alcohol, family trouble calls and prescription drug use among other duties. When fully staffed, three Elkader officers cover all 168 hours in a week.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding that, in larger agencies, it’s harder police work or more dangerous. That’s simply not true at all because, here, all the weight of the responsibility of a police department for the community gets placed on one person that’s working or that’s on call,” Seitz said.

One of the biggest challenges is the number of officer on-call hours, which has increased for Seitz and Bazyn while the department is in the process of replacing DeShaw. This impacts multiple facts of the department, including policing in general and mental health, as well as recruiting and retaining officers.

The limited number of officers can increase response time, sometimes by five to 10 minutes, which doesn’t seem like much. However, as Seitz pointed out, it can be the difference between life or death in emergency situations. In more typical crimes, such as an active fight, the fight could be over before police arrive, putting them on “cleanup duty,” as opposed to having a more effective presence.

On the issues of mental health related to on-call time, which Seitz believes are “severely underestimated,” there is stress that doesn’t exist during a regular shift. Being on-call isn’t just sitting at home, and it’s not  a break either, because being a police officer isn’t the same as working a 40-hour week. The work, especially the on-call part that is an accepted part of rural departments, follows you home. It’s an issue Cowsert said the city needs to find a solution for.

“You can’t ever give your full attention to the people in your house and spend actual time with them. Your mind is on when you’re going to get a call, and your mind is on alert and your body can’t even relax,” Seitz said. “So, you’re stressed several ways. You’re ‘home,’ but you’re really not there. Your mind is at work, because it has to be.”

Another challenge is recruiting and retaining staff. DeShaw’s departure shines a light on recruiting issues facing rural departments beyond the hours and on-call time, That includes budgets and wages and finding quality candidates who want to make sacrifices working in a community-oriented police department. It’s where the chief of police isn’t just the chief, but a football and wrestling coach who attends events as a resident in street clothes to engage with some of the people he might later arrest. You have to be “selfless,” said Seitz.

According to Cowsert, Elkader has had recent luck in retaining and hiring officers who were from Elkader, so they had familiarity with the area. For the five candidates who applied for the position, Seitz said it’s unknown if any are local, though it is known none been to the police academy, which will need to occur within one year after being hired.

Seitz expects the hiring process to take at least four months, with initial testing starting on May 17. Multiple background checks and interviews will follow, before a final candidate is chosen. Whoever takes the position will encounter another challenge facing rural departments: wages.

According to Seitz, he took a pay cut to become chief, and Cowsert indicated Elkader’s wages are in the “mid-range of wages” compared to communities of comparable size. Cowsert added that it would cost an additional $8,000 to $15,000 to bring Elkader’s wages in line with other departments.

Though there are challenges associated with rural departments, there are also positives. In Cowsert’s view, the small town has a bit of everything—a variety of activities, natural beauty, a supportive community and the mentorship and leadership of an experienced chief. She also mentioned award-winning reporters, but I’m not one to brag.

For Seitz, the community-orientated approach isn’t just a social media tag, but something he wholeheartedly believes in. It’s about being a helper, being visible, building relationships and trust and genuinely caring about the people you serve.

“Partnering with our community should be the priority of a police agency, and you can’t do that effectively without constantly building a relationship with them,” Seitz said. “The community needs to know we have their best interest in mind and our overall goal is to positively affect people’s quality of life.”