Jim Smith for East Bethel City Council

I’m scheduled to meet with the Anoka County Sheriff to continue an important conversation about East Bethel’s law-enforcement coverage and our public-safety priorities.

East Bethel has a strong relationship with the Sheriff’s Office, and I appreciate the service the department provides to our community. My goal in this meeting is to build on that relationship by asking better questions, sharing what we are hearing from residents, and talking about how our dedicated patrol resources can be aligned more closely with the goals the City has already established.

Our budget goals call for a stronger officer presence in neighborhoods, better reporting and accountability, and closer alignment between the priorities of the Sheriff’s Office and the priorities of East Bethel.

That gives us a clear framework for the discussion.

I want to better understand where calls for service are occurring, when demand is highest, what our response times look like, how our dedicated patrol hours are being distributed, and where additional neighborhood or business-area visibility may be helpful.

I also want to make sure we have a clear understanding of the countywide law-enforcement services East Bethel residents receive as Anoka County taxpayers and the how the additional coverage we purchase through the City’s dedicated patrol contract is being deployed.

In my opinion, the larger goal is a stronger and more active partnership between the City and the Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office brings law-enforcement expertise, operational knowledge, and countywide resources. The City brings knowledge of our neighborhoods, businesses, residents, and the priorities we have established locally.

The more directly we communicate, the better opportunity we have to improve service.

This meeting is intended to move that relationship forward and bring the Sheriff’s Office into closer alignment with East Bethel’s public-safety goals: stronger neighborhood presence, clearer information, better accountability, and more regular communication about how our law-enforcement resources are being used.

These should be normal conversations between the City and one of our most important public-safety partners, and I’m looking forward to having that discussion.