Law enforcement services with Johnson County were renewed for the next year.

However, at the Thursday, Dec. 15 Edgerton city council meeting, Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden said because of Edgerton’s continuing growth the city might want to consider expanding its services and needing a their own police department might be in their future.

“Edgerton is growing like crazy,” he said.

Hayden said they should “explore some stuff ” and consider assigning a lieutenant or a consistent group of officers to assist current Sheriff ’s Department officer Brad Johnson for consistency with local citizens.

He said knowing everyone in town helps officers serve a community better and is better for everyone.

“I want to make sure you have good, solid law enforcement,” Hayden said. “It will benefit all.”

Clay Longanecker, council member, said was Hayden thinking about assigning four more officers to help serve Edgerton.

Hayden said Edgerton should possibly look at having their own police department in the future that is part of the Sheriff ’s Department.

“We can work out problem areas,” he said. “It would make a huge dent in community relations.”

Longanecker said he agreed that citizens seeing familiar faces is probably beneficial for the community.

“The business is about relationships and taking care of needs,” Hayden said. “The community feels safe and important.”

Hayden said they would be asking for a few more positions to serve Edgerton in 2023 and step it up a little. The Sheriff ’s department would have to unfortunately bill for the services, he said.

Don Roberts, mayor, said in the city’s first quarter work session they would be brainstorming ideas for some type of direction for expanded police services.

“I want to make sure you are represented and represented well,” Hayden said. “We could do a cooperative effort.”

Roberts said they just need to talk through it.

“We do have up and coming challenges,” he said. “We will see what we can come up with.”

Hayden said he thinks they could give good quality things to Edgerton.

“Thank you for put- ting confidence in the Sheriff ’s department,” he said. “I want to make sure we keep you safe and do the right thing. Try to be worthy of it.”

The main change for the city’s renewed contract with the county’s sheriff ’s department for the 2023 year is a 5.2 percent increase from $461,430 to $490,326 for services. The cost covers terms of the agreement, policing services, cost for power shift and budgeted overtime. For now the level of services will continue to be the same. A fully-manned patrol car will be stationed in Edgerton and additional fully-manned patrol car or patrol cars will be available as needed from area districts.

The City will continue to provide an attorney serving as municipal judge, an attorney to prosecute all contested cases and a designated court clerk to supervise the court docket. The County will provide a baliff at municipal court, enforcement of city ordinances and hosting an annual town hall meeting. They will continually report to the City and City Administrator.