Editors note: Two officers have been hired, department is now fully staffed. Story has been updated to reflect change.
The Audubon City Council has approved Interim Police Chief Sean Staples to serve permanently during a special meeting on Monday. Staples was hired to work for the Audubon Police Department in 2022, coming to the team fully certified after enlisting in the military. Staples took over Chief of Police duties after previous Chief Coby Gust resigned to take a position with the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office. The position was offered to Staples temporarily, as the city department wanted to combine with the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office. City officials have decided against that, as they believed rebuilding the police force would be more efficient if built like departments from similar-sized towns. Staples advocated raising full-time officer pay to attract and retain highly qualified candidates. The new salary rate is now between $30 to $37 per hour based on experience. The city has approved two officers, Melissa Mower and another who is planning on starting soon. Staples is planning on scheduling a public meet and greet to introduce the new department in the upcoming weeks.
