Marshalltown Police Department (MPD) officers wave at traffic driving by on Center Street from the roof of Dunkin’ Donuts on Friday morning. It was the annual Cop on a Rooftop, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Iowa, which ran from 6 a.m. to noon. Roughly 12 lawmen and women – from the MPD, MCSO and Iowa State Patrol – were consistently at Dunkin’ Donuts for the six hours, greeting people coming for their cup of coffee and donut and thanking those who donated. Marshall County Sheriff Office (MCSO) Chief Deputy Ben Veren said despite the strong winds, the event went rather well with a great turnout from the community. He said Marshalltown is usually one of the higher fundraisers of the 23 Iowa locations for Cop on a Rooftop, which had a statewide goal of raising $35,000.

“While it’s not a competition, we do turn it into a friendly competition with the other towns,” Veren said. “Marshalltown does a great job in supporting the athletes.”