Nine police departments in the Fox Valley have proposed a plan that would make it easier for them to help each other in emergencies.
In the Fox Cities, sometimes it's hard to tell where one city or town ends and another begins. Nine police departments often interact, but to do so in an official capacity requires going through the official channels. That's where the “mutual aid agreement” comes in.
Tim Styka is Chief of Police in the City of Menasha. As an example, he says if one of his officers saw a situation in a neighboring community, he or she would have to call in to ask for permission to assist. That permission can only be granted once the officer’s supervisor gets approval from the other police force.
“That can obviously take a fair amount of time,” says Styka. “If it's an emergency situation, you'd rather just see the people moving in and helping out with that.”
The mutual aid agreement would effectively give officers pre-authorization to assist.
Appleton has had an agreement with Grand Chute for some time.
“Sometimes it's very short, just to get an officer over for a few minutes until an officer from the other agency can get over there,” says Sergeant Dave Lund, the Appleton Police Department's public information officer. “Sometimes it's more involved if it's a more complicated investigation.”
The departments need approval from various city councils and town boards, which is expected to come by the end of the month.
