City takes further steps in creating own police force
City takes further steps in creating own police force
BY ROBYN ROHDE
INTERIM EDITOR
A New Town police force is a real possibility within the year.
At the New Town City Council regular meeting last Wednesday, council members took steps into further developing their own city police force. The idea was originally proposed after a Three Affiliated Tribe Police Officer addressed the council in June about the increase in crime and traffic in Mountrail County.
At the meeting last week, council members looked at budgets from the towns of Stanley and Tioga, who each have their own police force. They each had budgeted at least $200,000 for the force that did not include the purchase of cars, weapons, fuel, etc. Currently New Town pays approximately $97,000 per year as part of the county wide police contract.
Since New Town no longer has a jail to house prisoners, they would all need to be transferred to either Stanley or Watford City for incarceration. New Town would also need to budget in the cost of a judge.
“I don’t think it going to work if we hurry up and do it today,” City Attorney Wade Enget said. “If we set these things in a continual and say by this day we want to do this I think it will work.
