The Cole County Commission has approved efforts to increase the Cole County Sheriff's Department's presence in Russellville.
Alderman Tina Amick said residents have been growing in concern for their community's safety. Thefts, homelessness and traffic issues are at the top of their list.
The city abandoned its own police department many years ago.
The Cole County Sheriff's Department includes the municipality - with a population of 807 - as part of its countywide patrol.
In 2016, the sheriff's office answered 372 calls for service in Russellville, just under 2 percent of its countywide call volume.
Sheriff John Wheeler said call types range from animal abuse to vehicle complaints.
"I only have a limited number of road deputies to respond to calls countywide," he said. "I cannot take a deputy off of the county rotation to put him in an incorporated municipality."
A lot of the department's man-hours are spent serving civil papers. They also have a dedicated position for animal control, but that is not 24/7. Also, deputies are required to make prisoner transports.
"We cannot enforce municipal codes unless we have a signed contract with the municipality on specific ordinances," Wheeler said.
The communities of Wardsville and Taos have shared a full-time deputy in a similar program with the Cole County Sheriff's Department since 2008.
"I would like to increase our presence in all rural communities, and I think we are doing pretty well with the resources we have. But I also believe in teachable moments," Wheeler said. "If this community feels like it does not see its law enforcement enough, maybe others feel the same way. We have been talking to our staff to try to be more visible in these communities."
Russellville and the sheriff's department are working on an "overtime detail" solution. Russellville has asked for 10 hours a week, but Wheeler said at Tuesday's County Commission meeting he would start with nine hours a week. That would come out to 468 hours per year. At approximately $30-an-hour, that would cost Russellville $14,040 annually.
"Many of our board of aldermen would like a full-time deputy, myself included, despite the strain it will place on our city budget," Amick said.
Because deputies already work extra hours on behalf of Cole County residents, they need to be compensated adequately, Wheeler said.
Yet, "the problem is not the money; it is the hours," he said.
An 80-hour pay period policy regarding use of sick leave and vacation time creates a problem for the "overtime" plan.
"The good news is that we have a Cole County Commission that listens," Wheeler said. " The commission is willing to bypass this policy, which is not unreasonable, since they have done this in the past for state grant money."
Another possible solution is to establish a Neighborhood Watch program, run by residents rather than law enforcement, the sheriff said.
"These are very effective in a rural setting," Wheeler said. "We will attend and provide whatever training or information that we can, once we get contacted."
Amick said 71 percent of 55 residents, who responded to a general survey in May, said safety was their top concern.
"Only 29 percent of respondents stated they felt safe," she said.
The town leaders have made other improvements recently, such as a new city waste drop-off site and creation of a parks and recreation division.
The increase to law enforcement presence would go a long way, Amick said.
"We're looking at how to attract prospective homeowners and businesses to grow this community," she said.