Paullina, Iowa — There will soon be a new Paullina Police Chief.
Paullina Mayor Marlin Sjaarda tells us Luke Hughes of Le Mars has accepted the City’s offer, and will start on November 3rd. Sjaarda says Hughes is currently employed by the Plymouth County Conservation Board as a certified officer/park ranger. He says Hughes also serves as a part-time officer in Hinton and Akron.
Sjaarda tells us that their police chief, Nathan Bremer, had turned in his retirement letter in August, and that the City of Paullina had intended to replace Bremer — but in the meantime, they were going to utilize the services of Paullina Reserve Officer Cain Junkman.
But, Sjaarda says, the city was advised by legal counsel that the plan would not be legal. He says they were under the impression that Junkman could continue to patrol as long as there was a certified officer on the police roster.
But legal counsel advised the City that Junkman can not serve unless it is under a police chief. O’Brien County Deputies have been filling in during the meantime.
He says they also interviewed one person who was not a certified police officer. He says they could have sent that person to the academy, but their job posting for the chief position said they would give preference to a certified officer, since they were without any officers and needed to get someone in place as soon as possible.
