The Mar-Mac Police Department serves as the law enforcement arm of the Mar-Mac Unified Law Enforcement District, commonly referred to as the Mar-Mac Police District. The district provides police services to the cities of Marquette and McGregor in northeast Clayton County, Iowa.
The Police District was formally established in December 1999 through a joint agreement between the two cities. The district was created under Iowa law permitting cities to exercise home-rule authority and to enter into intergovernmental agreements for shared services.
Specifically, the formation of the Police District is rooted in:
- Iowa Code Chapter 28E – joint exercise of governmental powers
- Iowa Code Chapter 28E.22 – unified law enforcement districts and funding
- Iowa Constitution, Article III, Sections 38A and 39A – municipal home-rule authority
Under these provisions, the cities of Marquette and McGregor approved a formal 28E Agreement creating a unified law enforcement district and dissolving their former individual municipal police departments. The new district structure allowed the two cities to maintain local control while sharing a single professional police agency.
Before consolidation, each city operated its own department. Officers from the neighboring cities frequently assisted each other, and both agencies bore the cost of duplicate administrative functions, vehicles, and supervisory structures. Leaders in both communities determined that a unified department would provide stronger and more efficient police services.
The goals at the time of formation included:
- improved officer availability and consistent coverage across both cities
- elimination of duplicated administrative costs
- standardized training, policies, and equipment
- coordinated investigations and case management
- a single command structure accountable to both cities
The Mar-Mac Police District became one of the first unified law enforcement districts of its kind in Iowa. Over the years, it has drawn interest from other small communities exploring regional policing models as a way to maintain local service while addressing staffing and financial challenges.
Since 1999, the district has continued to modernize operations, expand community-policing initiatives, and implement contemporary training standards through the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. The agency also participates in mutual-aid partnerships with surrounding city, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
Today, the Mar-Mac Police District reflects the original vision of its founders – two communities working together under a unified legal framework to provide professional, accountable, and cost-effective police services.
