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Council OK’s 2nd hire for police dept.
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · March 27, 2024
A month after hiring a police chief, the West Branch City Council hired another police officer on Monday.
The council unanimously voted to hire Ryan E. Dorsey of Tipton, who will begin the job on March 25.
Chief Greg Hall said Dorsey was a certified officer but needs to undergo academy training in Iowa since Iowa does not recognize his existing certification.
Dorsey spent half a dozen years in the U.S. Army.
“We’re very fortunate to have him and I’m super-excited to see his family here tonight to support him,” Hall said.
Mayor Roger Laughlin administered the oath of office to Dorsey, who was then joined by his wife, Hannah, and daughter Tillian, 5.
Dorsey and Hannah have four children in addition to Tillian: Elias, 6; Ophelia, 7; Cora, 9; and Delaney, 15.
Council members congratulated Dorsey for passing the qualifications.
“Welcome to West Branch,” councilmember Nick Goodweiler said. “Welcome to Iowa as well.”
He will start by making $30 per hour. Dorsey will shadow current trained officers until he begins at the Iowa Law Enforcement Basic Academy training on April 29.
After completing his academy training, his salary would increase to $32 per hour.
According to a memo by Sgt. Cathy Steen, Dorsey successfully completed a physical fitness test, a written National Police Officer Selection Test, and an oral interview after which he was “unanimously recommended to continue the process by the interview panel.”
After undergoing the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, a psychological screening, Dorsey received a unanimous recommendation for a preliminary offer of employment by the hiring committee, Steen wrote.
The city and Dorsey signed an Officer Training Reimbursement Agreement which would require Dorsey to refund the city for his training should he leave the position before fulfilling a four-year term.
The council expressed frustration in June 2023 after an earlier trainee left the WBPD soon after graduating from the academy.
City Administrator Adam Kofoed said the reimbursement agreement covers the cost of training, mileage, and food — all that the city is allowed to get should an officer leave before the four years ends.
Kofoed said Dorsey is “a little older” than the previous trainee and wants to work in a small town.
The city administrator said he hopes the recently approved pay increases for West Branch officers plus the benefits of living in a small town will make up for any extra pay the Iowa City Police Department or Cedar County Sheriff’s Department can offer.
The city council wants to build up to as many as six officers and current budget projections suggest it can afford up to five.
The city plans to increase the WBPD budget to help attract, train, and hire new officers. In January, Kofoed suggested increasing the budget from about $500,000 to $750,000, an increase of about $250,000, as it now looks for that fourth officer.
The WBPD dropped to a single full-time officer at the end of 2023. It last had four full-time, certified officers — at the time considered a full staff — in June 2022.
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