ARMA, Kan. — Increased summertime travel along Hwy. 69 and N. West St. means police officers in Arma are busy, too. In May, the Arma Police Department conducted 159 traffic stops in total.

Arma Police Chief John Austin noted the busy schedule during Monday’s Arma City Council meeting as part of the police department’s report for the month of May.

Between May 1 and May 26, the Arma Police Department had 103 calls for service, 92 citizen contacts, 10 ordinance violations, 84 traffic stops, 69 warnings, 18 citations, three vehicle unlocks, nine medical assists, five arrests, six alarm checks, six building checks, 449 section checks, eight vehicle checks, five incident reports, eight offense reports, one accident report, 10 mutual aids, and four dog pickups.

From May 27 to May 31, the department conducted 25 calls for service, 25 citizen contacts, 75 traffic stops, 43 warnings, 31 citations, two vehicle unlocks, one arrest, two alarm checks, one building check, 70 section checks, one incident report, one offense report, one accident report and two mutual aids.

The council also approved the hiring of Joanna Johnson as an officer at the rate of $18 an hour, and requiring training at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.

In other business, Arma resident Jolene Edwards talked to the council about a vacant home that has become an eyesore.

“I would like to address the council on the issue of a vacant property at 209 W. Main,” said Edwards. “It’s in a very dilapidated state, it’s unoccupied. To me, it’s a safety issue, a health issue, and it is a problem for the entire community to see something that drastic in our community. I’m wondering what we can do about it or what you guys can do about it.”

“We just got somebody (Arma Fire Department) to do inspections, so this’ll be a good first one for them,” said Arma Mayor Rob Lessen. “We’ll get them there as soon as we can.”

The next council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, May 18. Meetings are held at the council meeting room next door to Arma City Hall, located at 701 E. Washington St. For more information or to be placed on the agenda, call the Arma City Hall at 620-347-4125.

This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.