MONTHLY COLUMN (C-T)
Jon Maples, Chief, City of Chillicothe Police Department

By Angie Talken, CT, 11 15 19

November, 2019 - Chief Jon Maples addressed the Chillicothe City Council with his concerns regarding the need for a law enforcement tax on Tuesday night, November 12, 2019, and asked them to agree to have City Attorney Robert Cowherd draft language for a proposal for the April 2020 ballot asking for a sales tax specifically earmarked for the police department. The proposed tax would be a sales tax of .25 cents per $100. "We are not asking the citizens to pay an additional tax out of their pockets; it is a sales tax that will be paid by anyone who shops in Chillicothe, " Maples said. "You spend $100 at Wal-Mart, the tax will be an additional .25, which would go to law enforcement." Maples said the need for additional funding is vital to continue to have an effective and well-maintained department. "In order for us to serve the community to the best of our abilities, we need access to the most effective training available and the most cost-effective tools for completing the tasks before us," he said.

Police Chief Jon Maples discusses the need for a law enforcement tax with the city council.

Angie Talken / CT Photo

In the last year, the number of calls averaged by the department each day has raised by over 100. The types of calls are also becoming more volatile. Maples said the nature of some of the crimes is changing, and he feels that is in direct correlation to the efforts made by officers to get into the community. "They trust us, they know we want what is best for them, and we are working hard to get their issue handled," Maples said. "These crimes have always been going on in Chillicothe; we are just hearing about it more."

To continue to provide the best safety for the community, Maples said there is an ongoing need for at least $12,000 annually for training along with ensuring officers have the best personal protection and tools. Capital Improvements to the department's fleet of vehicles needs to be placed on a rotation so new vehicles can be brought in on a rotating basis.

All five council members were in attendance at the meeting, and each spoke in support of the tax being placed on the April 2020 budget, then voted 5-0 to ask Cowherd to draft proposed ballot language to be approved at a council meeting in the near future. The language must be certified by the County Clerk on Jan. 28 to be placed on the April ballot. "We need to take steps to make sure our department has what they need; we need to be proactive here," Councilmen Denny Albertson said. City Administrator Darin Chappell pointed out that even if the proposed .25 sales tax increase were to pass, Chillicothe would still have a lower tax rate then neighboring towns. "Even with this increase, we are not taking ourselves out of the community market," Chappell said.

In the last several years, the department has worked to secure nearly $100,000 in grants in addition to the funding they receive from the city.

July 2019 | April 2019 | January 2019 | October 2018 | February 2018 | January 2018

Please email us at contactus@chillimopd.org. Likewise, if you have a complaint or concern you wish to discuss with our department, we would also like to hear from you. We take pride in serving you!

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Chillicothe Missouri Police Department
613 Walnut Street
Chillicothe, MO  64601
660-646-2121
Toll Free: 1-877-646-2185
Chief
Jon C. Maples
E-9-1-1 Coordinator Cindy Hanavan

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