by Sleepy Eye Police Chief Matt Andres
I have a few pieces of appreciation at the end of this article but before I get to that we have to have a conversation about CHICKENS. We have received many calls referencing roosters that are running the streets of Sleepy Eye. Now, I don’t believe these chickens belong to anyone currently. I don’t know if they have escaped or were purposely let loose in town. I have heard a couple ideas about where they have come from and I have been able to figure out that they are not correct, or at least I am not able to prove they are correct.
At this point I am less concerned with how they got here than I am with how to get them out of here. A citizen has informed me that some of the FFA students have caught a couple and moved them to a farm. I know there are at least three remaining, with two being roosters. If anyone can catch them or offer up some advice on how to catch them, then I am willing to listen. I am certainly not from a farm family, and I don’t know much about chickens or catching them. I have two spots where I see the chickens regularly and I am willing to speak with the homeowners about setting up live traps if anyone can lend traps for this.
If the chickens are someone’s, then please remove them from town. It is against Sleepy Eye Ordnance to have chickens in town. Anyone keeping chickens in town needs to remove them. This situation is a big reason why chickens are illegal to possess in town.
In September, Officer Peter McGarry and Officer Taylor Bolinger were awarded the Law Enforcement Medal of Valor by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. They assisted the County with the arrest of the suspect of the murder of Algona, Iowa Police Officer Kevin Cram. Deputy Jason Fairbairn, Deputy Justin Robertson and Trooper Valerie Hauser also received the Medal of Valor. Dispatcher Julie Hellendrung received the Medal of Merit. Their actions during a stressful and potentially dangerous situation brought the situation to a close quickly and peacefully. I am so grateful to the responders involved and the working relationship the Sleepy Eye Police Department shares with the Sheriff’s Office.
I want to thank all the Law Enforcement personnel that assisted with the Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener. I worked with Sheriff Seidl and Chief Deputy Reed in the planning and organizing for this event. The event went smoothly for us although the stress leading up was quite high.
The Sleepy Eye Police Department works with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office on many calls. Both departments share a good relationship with the other and often we don’t even think about who is helping who, we just get the work done. In planning and working together on this it is easier to appreciate the relationship that is often taken for granted. There was no thought of who would be in what position or who would be seen publicly as the more important department. The only thought was accomplishing what needed to be done and doing it safely and effectively. In the movies Police Departments always have issues with jurisdiction and who is taking over what case. I don’t know if that is real or not, but it certainly isn’t with the Sheriff’s Office. I want to thank Sheriff Seidl, Chief Deputy Reed and all the members of the Brown County Sheriff’s Office for the ease in which our departments work together and support each other.