GOODMAN -- The city council in Goodman unanimously approved the hiring of Daniel Vaugn as a new officer for the Goodman Police Department at its meeting on Tuesday, March 5.
Vaughn was a reserve officer before his police academy training, which he completed on Dec. 14, 2023.
Initially, Vaughn faced a challenge related to the academy's tuition, which can cost up to $8,000. While looking for funding, Vaughn contacted the Blue Scholarship.
"What you do is send your background, who you are, where you're gonna go to school and when you're gonna graduate," said Vaughn. "Then, the Missouri Department of Public Safety will issue you some money if they feel like you're gonna be worth their time, so they paid for my whole academy [tuition]. I didn't have to pay anything out of pocket."
Vaughn also applied for the federal Pell grant, which contributed to his tuition for the academy.
As a resident of Joplin, Vaughn said he chose the Goodman Police Department because of its reputation in the community.
"Community outreach is a big deal for me. I have a lot of experience working with the public. And so anything that we can do to bring a better eye on law enforcement, I'm all down for that."
Kili Rich is Vaughn's daughter and attended the city council meeting with her mother, to support her father.
"I'm really proud of him, and it's a pretty cool thing to brag about having a dad who's a police officer," said Rich.
Vaughn's wife, Erica Vaughn, also expressed her admiration for her husband's accomplishments.
"I'm excited and so proud of him for graduating from the academy."
"Daniel [Vaughn] has the same heart and would go above and beyond to help anyone," said Police Chief Samuel Townsend. "He truly believes in protecting and serving the community. He will fit in great in Goodman."
For residents who want to pursue a career in law enforcement, Vaughn has some advice.
"I would recommend that anybody who wants to get into law enforcement reach out to the Department of Public Safety and the Missouri Blue Scholarship because it really does help."
Other council action
Representatives from Viking Industrial Painting attended the city council meeting to offer their services to repaint the city's water tower. These services include cosmetic work on the outside of the tower and coating the inside with added protective measures to repel contaminates. If the council approves the company's services, work will begin during the warmer months to allow the paint to form a stronger bond with the tower.
After reviewing the bids submitted by various businesses and residents, the city sold its 2015 Chevy Tahoe to Kelly King for $4,250. According to the city, the Tahoe is in "rough condition" and needs repair. The city also sold its sludge truck to Darrell Sarratt for $650.
The city paid the bills in the amount of $42,658.40
For the month of February, the police department responded to 204 calls of service. Officers conducted 100 business and community checks and 116 entire city patrols. They performed 145 constructive engagements, conducted 30 traffic stops, wrote 10 citations for traffic violations, 77 for violation of city ordinances, 12 citations for violation of ordinances, and made six arrests.