Urbandale Among Suburbs That May Drop Homeland Security Team

Urbandale is among three Des Moines suburbs considering withdrawal from a joint homeland security agreement with the Des Moines Police Department, the Des Moines Register reports.

The three cities – which include West Des Moines, Urbandale and Clive – pay a combined total of $160,700 to be part of the team, the article said. However, they have their own tactical team, and officials told the newspaper they believe there is a duplication of services between the two.

The agreement with the Des Moines Police Department developed after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., according to the Register. Services provided under the agreement include a bomb squad, Metro STAR tactical unit, intelligence assistance, crisis negotiators, a police dive team, and explosive hazardous material removal and disposal, among others.

Officials from the three communities are all questioning whether the service is worth their investment, the article said. The program used to be financed by the federal government, but assistance has since dropped 85 percent.

Urbandale’s current three-year contract expires July 1, the article said, and Police Chief Ross McCarty said he wanted to meet with Des Moines officials before renewing the department’s participation.

Des Moines Police Chief Judy Bradshaw told the Register should the cities drop out, it could make it difficult for specialized response teams to continue operating at their current levels.

“It’s so important that we have this all-hazards capability to be able to respond to man-made disasters such as a terrorist or a bombing or some kind of criminal episode in conjunction with a natural disaster such as a flood, a tornado or something that Mother Nature throws at us,” Bradshaw told the newspaper.