(Le Mars) — Community civic and business leaders learned a little more about the Le Mars Police Department as Chief Stuart Dekkenga explained about some of the issues local officers are facing on an daily basis. Dekkenga was the speaker at the first Business Builder seminar sponsored by the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce and the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Plymouth County. Nearly 40 people attended the noon luncheon seminar held at the Blue Bunny ice cream parlor. Dekkenga used the opportunity to update the group on the officers on the police force and to inform them of the latest technical equipment used by the Le Mars Police Department.
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The Le Mars Police Chief says in recent years, the police department has been called upon several times to help with the parenting of troubled teens.
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Dekkenga says the use of social media has added responsibilities and duties to the police department’s job.
In lieu of several recent accidents, the group asked questions regarding the traffic patterns on Business highway 75 with the intersections of 18th and 24th streets. Some suggesting a turning lane may in fact prevent future accidents. There were questions about the amount of drug use in Le Mars, and even questions about gang activity within our community.