KIMBALL -- The Kimball Police Department officially signed a mutual aid agreement with the Pine Bluffs Police Department.

The agreement was approved in the Pine Bluffs City Council Meeting June 12. The City of Kimball signed off on the agreement in its May 28 City Council Meeting after Kimball Chief of Police Jose Ruiz and Pine Bluffs Chief of Police Austin Smith presented the agreement. 

This agreement will allow Pine Bluffs police officers to come into Kimball to assist in the event of a mass casualty, active shooter or severe weather event – and vice versa, Chief Ruiz said.

“With that agreement in place, it will be helpful in the community because it will allow more law enforcement to be involved,” Ruiz said. “We need to get the help any way we can get it, and this agreement allows that to happen.” 

Ruiz said the agreement only specifies the assistance for the three scenarios because they are the most urgent. For lower-level incidents, statewide police officers from other agencies can assist one another, but for emergencies, it is ideal to have an agency that is closer to be able to assist. 

Both rural communities benefit because they are further away from other agencies in their own states. 

The Pine Bluffs Police Department is closer than any of the law enforcement agencies in Nebraska, so it makes sense to have an agreement like this in place, Ruiz said. 

In the May 28 meeting, Council Member Creg Pike said he is excited to see this collaboration come together. 

Ruiz said it is especially important right now when Kimball does not have a lot of officers. 

“These agreements are vital especially for small departments; working together with one another is going to be what gives the public the best protection that we can give them,” Ruiz said. 

Smith said in the May 28 meeting that the two agencies are also planning to form joint training sessions for their officers. 

“The more people you can get together to train, the better the training is,” Smith said. 

Chief Ruiz is also working on forming a mutual aid agreement with Laramie County.