JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

SUBMITTED BY TIM MORSE, SHERIFFJACKSON COUNTY, KANSAS

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The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office presents this end-of-the-year report for 2017 to the

citizens of Jackson County and to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. This

report encompasses many of the projects and accomplishments made by the men and

women of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. These dedicated employees make

tremendous sacrifices each day in a dangerous world for the safety of the public in

which they serve.

Duties of the Sheriff

There are a number of departments or divisions within the Jackson County Sheriff’s

Office that are charged in carrying out the statutory duties of the Sheriff. The Sheriff is

elected by the citizens of the county and is tasked with being the Chief Law

enforcement officer of the county.

The County Attorney is also elected and is the Chief prosecutor who charges and

prosecutes cases. The County Attorney works with law enforcement for prosecutorial

purposes.

The District Court Judge, depending on the judicial district, can either be appointed and

then the citizens can vote to retain them, or in some parts of the state, the Judge is

elected. The Judge can set bonds, sign warrants, hear trials and sentence those

convicted.

Each one of these officials have specific, but independent functions. Very similar to the

federal and state governments who have divided powers between the executive,

legislative and judiciary, there is also a division of powers on the local level regarding

law enforcement, the prosecution and the courts.

The Sheriff can investigate a crime, make an arrest and hold someone in jail for 48

hours. The County Attorney has to review the case, make the determination of what

crimes to prosecute, and formally charge the person with a crime and the Judge sets

the bond and hears the case. These three officials cannot function without the other.

Powers are divided between these three different offices. All three are independent of

each other, but are expected by the citizens to function well together, performing in a

checks and balance method.

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The Office of Sheriff is one of the oldest non-military, law enforcement entities in history.

The Sheriff of the county is responsible for keeping the peace, maintaining the jail and

serving the courts. There is a variety of other responsibilities given to the Sheriff via

state statute.

The concept of Sheriff began in the 6th century in England.  The Sheriff in the United

States is elected by the people and answers directly to them and the Constitutions of

the State and the United States.  The Sheriff can investigate cases other law

enforcement agencies, have investigated if the Sheriff believes the investigation to be

inadequate.  The people of the county elect the Sheriff directly, and his or her authority

comes from the people.

City managers, mayors and city councils oversee police departments, while the citizens

themselves elect the Sheriff who serves the people directly. The Sheriff answers to the

voters of the county and is responsible for the safety of all its citizens.  The Sheriff’s Office is the only elected local law enforcement agency and is the people’s police.

Under state law, the county commission sets the Sheriff’s budget annually; however, the

Sheriff is free to make expenditures within the budget without approval.  The Sheriff can

hire, fire, promote and demote as he or she sees fit.   The Sheriff is not bound by

municipality boundaries, or in Kansas, reservation boundaries. The Sheriff not only has

law enforcement authority in the county, but also has many more duties. 

As an officer of the court, the Sheriff serves all judicial processes originating from the

district court of the county.  The Sheriff serves civil summons, writs, subpoenas,

foreclosures, and criminal process. The Sheriff is responsible for keeping the courts

orderly and safe through court security.

The Sheriff is charged with selling properties that are found to be delinquent in taxes. 

The Sheriff is responsible for selling properties that have defaulted in paying their

mortgages.  The Sheriff is responsible in managing and monitoring registered offenders

and keeping them up to date on their appearance, place of work, place of residence and

the vehicles they drive.

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In addition, the Sheriff is responsible for receiving and reviewing applications for

conceal and carry licensees for the county and forwarding them to the attorney

general’s office.  By statute, the Sheriff is the holder of all district court warrants. In

Jackson County, there are approximately 1000 outstanding warrants at any time, and

the Sheriff is in charge of apprehending those individuals.  The Sheriff on a daily basis,

transports fugitives from across the state who have been picked up by a local law

enforcement agency on a Jackson County warrant.  In addition, the Sheriff is

responsible in transporting wanted fugitives who have fled Kansas to other states.

These individuals may be extradited from anywhere within the United States.

The Sheriff by statute is also in charge of the jail.  The Sheriff is charged with seeing

that inmates are safe, secure and that their medical needs are being met.  Running a

jail is a 24 hour 7 day a week job and requires much attention to the needs of inmates

as well as the safety of the public.  In Jackson County, the Sheriff is in charge of the

countywide 911 center.  All 911 calls in Jackson County are answered in the Sheriff’s

911-Communications Center.  The Sheriff in Jackson County also performs for

convenience sake, vehicle identification number inspections for the public.  The Sheriff

also has authority to impound and sell livestock that are running at large. The Sheriff is

responsible for keeping the peace and investigating crimes. The Sheriff answers calls

for services and is responsible for all the public safety needs of the county.

Overall, the Sheriff works directly for the citizens he or she serves.  It is the Sheriff’s

responsibility to see that every citizen is treated fairly and equally when it comes to law

enforcement.  The Sheriff is there to make sure everyone’s constitutional rights are

upheld. The Sheriff works as a leader in working with other law enforcement agencies to

making the county as safe as possible.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office under the leadership of Sheriff Tim Morse

continues to strive for excellence in providing competent law enforcement while at the

same time being accountable to our citizens.

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Major Reduction in Crime

Some amazing accomplishments have taken place in Jackson County when it comes to

Jackson County’s crime rate. It appears the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office approach

to fighting crime is paying off, with crime rates now at a ten year low. The Sheriff’s

Office has implemented a number of changes to policing that have helped bring this

about.

It is impossible to cut crime if you don’t have the right personnel. The Jackson

County Sheriff’s Office has been very successful in recruiting and retaining some

of the brightest and the best in Kansas Law Enforcement. Providing these

individuals with excellent training has provided the county with a professional

workforce that patrols, responds to calls, investigates crimes and apprehends

criminals. This workforce has the required intellectual ability and skills needed to

be effective law enforcement officers combined with professionalism when

dealing with the public.

The implementation of patrol zones and sub-stations in 2011 has been crucial in

reducing crime in Jackson County. In times past, deputies would simply respond

to calls from Holton. This method actually resulted with poor response times and

fewer miles of roads being patrolled. In 2011, when sub-stations were

established along with patrol zones, each deputy was assigned to a particular

zone and would complete cases at their assigned sub-station. In 2016, the

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a grant to supply patrol deputies with

mobile data technology, making each patrol vehicle a hot spot. Together,

deputies are able to access a variety of information and complete reports in the

field. These moves have dramatically helped to reduce response times and

increased the number of miles each deputy patrols. Deputies now patrol an

average of ½ million miles of Jackson County rural roads each year. The Patrol

Division has taken a very proactive approach to patrolling the county. Deputies

are on duty 24 hours a day looking for criminal activity and are quick to take

action making Jackson County a safer place for our families. The more time

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Deputies are on the roads and streets looking for would be criminals, the bigger

the impact is on reducing the crime rate.

In order to effectively reduce crime, one has to be able to solve crimes. The

Investigations Division of the Sheriff’s Office are true professionals when it

comes to solving cases. The Investigation Division is made up of three very

experienced and dedicated investigators totaling more than 75 years of

combined experience. Two of the investigators were seasoned agents with the

Kansas Attorney General’s Office before coming to Jackson County. The

Investigations Division has been extremely productive in pursuing those who

prey on Citizens of Jackson County. The Division has been very successful in

solving crimes and has an extremely high solvability rate. Typically, when

someone has been a victim of a property crime in the past, the victim would most

likely never see their property again or find out the identity of their burglar.

However, that is becoming more and more a thing of the past. Investigators in

Jackson County have been successful in solving many of the County’s property

crimes and are returning property to victims. In addition, successful

prosecutions are bringing jail time for those convicted of such crimes.

It is virtually impossible for any law enforcement agency to be effective in

reducing crime without the help of the public. Along with quality personnel, patrol

zones, sub-stations, a well-working investigative unit and a strong partnership

with the public are essential in bringing order to a community. The Jackson

County Sheriff’s Office realizes the need for the community to become involved

in helping with this task. The Sheriff’s Office began their approach to reducing

crime by creating the Jackson County Community Watch Program. This

program is made up of more than 10% of the residents in the county who are

able to take an active part in reducing crime. Members have a stake in their

community playing a dramatic part in making Jackson County safer. Members

are provided essential information, who then notify the Sheriff’s Office of their

observations. There have been many occasions where members have provided

the helpful tip that solved a crime or led to the apprehension of criminals. This

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program has increased the number of eyes in the community looking for criminal

activity.

Total Crime Index

All of the above aspects has helped make Jackson County a safer place to live, work,

and raise their families. Over the last ten years, there has been a dramatic decrease in

crime in all categories. In comparing crime statistics for Jackson County from 2007 to

2016, one can see a real change has taken place. From this period, we see that there

has been over a 50% decrease in the overall crime index. According to the Kansas

Bureau of Investigations, the crime rate of Jackson County reduced from 25.1 offenses

per 1000 people to 12.4 offenses per 1000 people over the 10-year period, which is

59% less than the state average. Whereas the total index crimes for the state are 5.6%

below the 10 year-average at 30.6 offenses per 1000 people.

Violent CrimeAccording to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations, Kansas violent crimes are 5.9%

above the 10- year average in 2016. Violent crime index for Kansas is 3.7 offenses per

1,000 people. From 2007-2016 the violent crime index in Jackson County has dropped

from 3.8 offenses per 1000 people to 1.5 offenses per 1000 people with a decrease of

61% in the violent crime index. Over the same time period in Jackson County there has

been a 65% decrease in aggravated assault and battery cases. Jackson County has

the lowest violent crime index of any county bordering Shawnee County and the Capital

City.

Property CrimeWhile property crimes have decreased overall in Kansas, they have not decreased to

the extent that Jackson County has. Over the ten-year period Jackson County

decreased in property crimes from 21.3 offenses per 1000 people to 10.9 offenses per

1000 people or a 49% decrease. In addition, during this time there was a 52%

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decrease in thefts in Jackson County. When comparing 2017 to 2016 in Jackson

County, there has been a 48% decrease in residential burglaries.

Being proactive in making arrests helps in lowering the crime rate. When deputies are

actively looking for violators it deters would be thieves or other violent offenders from

frequenting the area. If offenders know they will be recognized in a particular

jurisdiction or know they will be picked up on a warrant or even for a traffic crime, they

may avoid entering the jurisdiction all together. In essence, less criminals in a given

area make less crime for the area.

None of these accomplishments in the reduction of crime in Jackson County could

occur without the county attorney’s office and the courts holding criminals accountable.

The word has gone out that Jackson County is probably not the place a person wants to

go to and commit crimes. If you do, you will most likely be arrested and spend time in

jail or even prison.

Investigation Division

One of the major reasons for the reduction of crime in Jackson County is due to the

dedication of the Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division. This division consists of three

investigators and primarily focuses on serious felony criminal offenses. During 2017,

this division investigated an estimated 160 cases. Of these 160 cases, 12 were

residential burglaries and nine of these cases were solved, resulting in a 75 %

clearance rate. The National average for solving a burglary in 2017 is 13.6%

(According to the national council for home safety) the unit investigated 62 thefts,

to include identity theft, motor vehicle thefts and financial crimes.

The Division investigated 19 sex related cases and all of these cases where

cleared by arrest or by prosecution. The Investigations Division puts a high

priority on these types of person crimes and dedicates time and resources to

ensure a thorough investigation is conducted and all aspects are considered.

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Investigations also conducted 22 narcotics investigations and conducted 10 death

investigations in 2017. Death investigations can include homicides, unattended

deaths, accidental deaths and suicides. The remaining cases included arson,

aggravated battery and aggravated assault. During 2017, investigators have filed

12 Inquisitional subpoenas and 36 Search warrants during the year.

The Investigations Division has an investigator on call status 24 hours a day and 365

days a year. The purpose of this is to ensure that no matter the time of day an

investigator will be able to respond as needed to investigate any crime and be able to

travel at a moment’s notice to investigate or assist patrol deputies with investigations.

The Investigations Division is tasked with crime scene investigation, which includes

documenting the crime scene collecting evidence and submitting biological evidence,

narcotics, firearms and cyber evidence to the state crime lab. The Investigation Division

has assisted other law enforcement agencies within the county and outside the county. In

addition, the unit has assisted the State of Kansas and federal law enforcement

agencies. This year the unit investigated an alleged officer involved shooting and alleged

attempted Capital Murder of three Law enforcement officers. The Investigations Division

quickly responded to the scene of this shooting, interviewed witnesses and collected

evidence. The Investigation Unit also works closely with county and federal prosecutors

to prepare and testify in court trials and motions.

Patrol Division

The Patrol Division of the Sheriff’s Office is one of the most

visible parts of the Sheriff’s Office along with being the primary

enforcement division. The Patrol Division is also the

uniformed division of the Sheriff’s Office and has the primary

responsibility of patrolling, traffic enforcement, accident

investigation, and responding to calls for service in Jackson County. In 2017, the Patrol

Division handled 21,002 incidents countywide. This is an increase of 2,395 incidents

from the preceding year. The Patrol Division is a major component in reducing crime in

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Jackson County by being proactive in the apprehension of criminal threats to Jackson

County. The existence of a high crime metropolitan area to the south requires a

proactive approach to crime in order to maintain the quality of life the citizens of

Jackson County enjoy.

Deputies patrol and respond to calls in the entire 658

square miles of Jackson County with nearly 1000 miles of

roadways. Patrol deputies also investigate the majority of

crimes and are tasked with apprehending wanted

fugitives.

In 2017, deputies with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

patrolled over 500,000 miles of Jackson County roadways. The Jackson County Sheriff

Office’s proactive approach is paying off with a number of reductions in a variety of call

types.

In 2017, the Patrol Division either responded to or initiated the following:

4 - Mental/Suicidal (60 in 2016)

205 - Escorts/Transports

1,720 - Civil Process (1,957 in 2016)

781 - Warrants (742 in 2016)

4,095 - Car Stops (2,709 in 2016)

270 - Non-Injury Accidents (313 in 2016)

104 - Injury Accidents (108 in 2016)

10 - Structure Fires (15 in 2016)

137 - Alarm Calls (138 in 2016)

17 - Fight Calls (24 in 2016)

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122 - Domestic Violence Calls (103 in 2016)

57 - Assault/Battery/Harassment Calls (49 in 2016)

527 - Animal Calls (474 in 2016)

1,105 - Assist Citizens Calls (1,031 in 2016)

391 - 911 Hang Up Calls (476 in 2016)

66 - Disturbance Calls (73 in 2016)

354 - Suspicious Person/Activity Calls (401 in 2016)

101 - Juvenile Calls (107 in 2016)

31 - Sex Offenses (43 in 2016)

124 - Welfare Checks (108 in 2016)

182 - Theft Calls (151 in 2016)

426 - Receive Information/Service Request Calls (938 in 2016)

750 - Traffic Problems (734 in 2016)

6,400 - Building/Area Checks (5,034 in 2016)

5- Illegal Hunting/Criminal Trespass Calls (19 in 2016)

252 - Back Up/Assist Other Agency Calls (322 in 2016)

22 - Search Warrants (24 in 2016)

6 - Vandalism/Criminal Damage to Property Calls

8 - Illegal Trash Dumps (16 in 2016)

262 - Speak with Deputy Calls (329 in 2016)

4 – Fatality

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15 – Pursuits

22 – Criminal Trespass

7 – Slide offs

7 – Criminal damage to property

82 – Abandoned vehicle

247 – Medicals

750 – Traffic problems

182 – Thefts

124 – Welfare checks

20 – Stolen car

17 – Fights

4 – Prowler

7 – Gas leak

85 – Fires

According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations most recent statistics, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has made more adult arrests than any of the six surrounding Sheriff’s Offices.

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K-9 Unit

Sgt. Travis Debarge & Benny Sgt. Travis Spiker and Ike

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit is made up of two deputy sheriffs and two

certified law enforcement K-9s. Deputy Sgt. Travis DeBarge and his German Shepherd

partner, Benny, with Deputy Sgt. Travis Spiker and his Belgium Malinois, Ike make up

the unit. Both deputies have been involved in the program for several years each. Ike

replaced Bak in 2017. The Sheriff’s Office replaced Bak for behavioral performance

issues after serving Jackson County for 3 years. In 2017, Ike and Sgt. Spiker

underwent 11 weeks of intense training in the Kansas Highway Patrol K-9 program.

Benny is a single purpose narcotics detection K-9, and Ike is certified in patrol

apprehension, suspect tracking, evidence recovery and narcotics detection. This unit

may respond 24 hours a day and is a law enforcement tool in apprehending illegal drug

distribution in Jackson County and in our schools.

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This unit deploys approximately 100 times per year.

Deputies attending former Jail Captain Larry Wilkening’s

funeral in May of 2017

Jail Division

The Jackson County Jail currently has one

of the highest inmate populations in

northeastern Kansas and has the second highest of the six surrounding counties next to

Shawnee County.

The jail completed approximately 700 transports in 2017. Corrections officers transport

detainees to and from court, medical appointments, treatment centers and

miscellaneous other places. Jail staff are tasked with transporting detainees arrested in

other counties on Jackson County warrants as well as out of state extraditions.

To name a few places corrections staff have been to this year:

Shawnee County approximately 153 times

Federal Transports approximately 90 times

Doctor and other Medical appointments approximately 60 times

Transports to court appearances approximately 237 times

Miscellaneous transports 161 times

In 2017, corrections staff went to Atchison, Doniphan, Nemaha, Marshall, Norton,

Cloud, Clay, Riley, Pottawatomie, Leavenworth, Jefferson, Wyandotte, Johnson,

Douglas, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Geary, Saline, Ellsworth, McPherson, Marion, Chase,

Lyon, Osage, Coffey, Anderson, Franklin, Thomas, Miami, Bourbon, Neosho, Crawford,

Sedgwick, Butler, Cowley, Pratt and Finney counties.

Corrections staff transported extradited inmates from Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri,

Georgia, Colorado and South Dakota. One of the necessities of transporting inmates

such large distances is to have a dependable transportation fleet. This Jail added a

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Chevrolet 13 passenger transport van. The van replaced an aging mini-van. The Jail

currently uses a 15-passenger van and a Chevy Tahoe for transports. There are a

number of times in a year when all transport vehicles are in use at the same time. The

Jail may transport 15 inmates to court and also have to pick up prisoners in other parts

of the state or other states at the same time.

The Jail’s recreation room received a face-lift this year. Previously it was an open- air

room with a shed roof. When the weather was inclement, inmates could not use the

recreation room. To solve the issue, a new permanent roof was constructed and

windows installed high on the wall to allow light in. The floors were epoxied along with

heating and air installed. Fresh paint and a new drop celling with lights were installed as

well. This allows the space to be used for recreation, temporary over flow, attorney

visits; Narcotics Anonymous, religious services and other such programs are now able

to use the space. A new roof that was installed over the entire jail this past summer has

helped enormously. The old roof leaked and a lot of time, materials and money had

been invested repairing leaks.

A new state of the art video visitation was installed in 2017 without using taxpayer

money. This system has proven itself much more reliable than the old system and much

more user friendly. Along with the visitation feature, the system also allows inmates to

communicate with medical staff, jail staff and order their commissary, file grievances,

check their account balances and access a law library.

Yearly maintenance is imperative to keep the jail functioning. All inmate housing units

were painted; many of the lights were replaced with more efficient LED lighting. Two

roof top HVAC units were replaced as they had stopped working. A pressure pump was

added to the water line in order to increase the water pressure in the jail as well. Of the

three hot water heaters in the jail, the last original one was replaced in 2017.

A new garbage disposal was installed in the kitchen as the old one stopped working. An

insulated food cart replaced the old cart that could no longer be repaired, along with

new serving trays. An old freezer was replaced as well. Inmate showers were touched

up and re-epoxied.

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The inmate population of the jail this year averaged over 96 inmates per day. The

average local inmate count was a little more than 44 inmates a day. Approximately 51

inmates per day were contract holds for other agencies. The jail’s capacity is 108 beds,

on several occasions, the population swelled to more than 110 inmates. Currently, the

Jail is holding inmates for the United States Marshal’s Service in Topeka, Kansas

Department of Corrections, Douglas County, Kickapoo Tribal and Potawatomi Tribal.

Occasionally the Jail houses inmates for other counties as well.

There are 15 full time corrections officers. The jail also has two part time officers that fill

in when needed. Of these officers are one captain, two sergeants, three corporals, and

eleven officers.

This year officers were trained in the use of force, range qualification, the Prison Rape

Elimination Act, medical, suicide detection and prevention and other in-house training

topics.

In late 2017, the jail assumed the duties of the oversight of registered offenders. This

move was made to streamline different divisions of the Sheriff’s Office and has not

changed registration itself.

The inmate welfare account is set up to provide for the needs of inmates’ welfare, such

as hygiene, clothing, blankets and mattresses. Monies placed into this account come

from the commissions the jail receives from phone, commissary vendors and items

directly sold by the jail. Most purchases are made for inmates without using taxpayer

money. The Jail received over $104,000.00 into the inmate welfare fund in 2017.

The jail performed 1,674 inmate bookings in 2017 compared to 1,594 last year.

The Jail also collected $1,967 in medical fees, which was up slightly from last year. The

Jail received $1,687 in booking fees and $17,273 in phone commissions and $6,978 in

sales tax. Cash bonds processed for the year were $82,947.

The Jail billed the following agencies for inmate housing for 2017: United States

Marshal’s Service $263,258.00, Kickapoo Nation $4,835.00, PBPN Nation $5,700.00,

Kansas Department of Corrections $421,000.00 and Douglas County $182,070.00 Total

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inmate outside housing of $876,863.00 which was an increase from 2016 at

$788,082.00 which is an increase of $88,781.00. When Sheriff Morse took over the

management of the jail in the end of 2011, the jail was approximately $500,000 in the

red for the year.

The jail gained its Prison Rape elimination Act (PREA) compliance in 2016. Officer

training, documentation and other items are done each year, and the jail is audited

every three years to maintain PREA compliance. The Jail will undergo a pre-audit in

2018 to ensure ongoing compliance.

2017 Registered Offenders

In 2017, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office managed 40 active registered offenders, of

those 31 are sex offenders, 8 are drug offenders and one violent offender.

Two offenders were charged for registration violations in 2017, with both being

convicted.

A total of 19 inmates are registered offenders, they are not required to register while

they are incarcerated, however, the Sheriff is required to keep their information updated

in the National Crime Information Center. Sgt. Dan Ballenger is in charge of identifying

those inmates that are required to register upon arriving at the Jail as well as when

released and forwarding this information to the Communications Center so the records

are updated in a timely manner.

Each active offender is required to pay a $20.00 registration fee 4 times a year,

resulting in collections of $2,900.00. in 2017.

In November of 2017, the decision was made to move away from Offender Watch and

return to using the KBI reporting system KSORT (Kansas Offender Registration Tool)

being much more less labor intensive in keeping these reports updated and in

compliance. This ensures that all offenders, either active or incarcerated, are compliant

with NCIC rules and regulations.

Jackson County Communications Center

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The Communications Division of the Sheriff’s Office is under the leadership of Dispatch

Supervisor, Kylie Mercer. In 2012, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office 911 and

Communications Center was upgraded with the state-of-the-art equipment. The

Communications Center update was grant funded. The Communications Center is

staffed 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. The Sheriff’s Office has an authorized

workforce of eight dispatchers. The center receives all 911 calls for the county and

dispatches for the Sheriff’s Office, Jail, 2 police departments, Kansas Department of

Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Kansas Highway Patrol, 8 fire departments, and 2

ambulance services.

In 2017, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office began answering statewide calls for the

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Operation Game Thief line. The

Sheriff was approached by and entered into a partnership with the Kansas Department

of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to handle callers on their 1-800 hotline. Dispatchers in

Jackson County answer hunting violation calls for the entire State of Kansas. The

information obtained from these calls are forwarded to the Game Wardens throughout

the State of Kansas.

In 2017, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office sustained a massive lightning strike that

severely crippled the county’s 911-dispatch center. The dispatch center was able to get

back on line in a short time; however, it took nearly four months until the center became

operational.

In 2017, the Communications Center handled 26,257 incidents, which the vast majority

were law enforcement related:

Jackson County EMS 1572Delia Fire 95Hoyt Fire 517Mayetta Fire 466Netawaka Fire 105Potawatomi Tribal Fire 271Soldier Fire 102Whiting Fire 97

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Kansas Highway Patrol 143Wildlife and Parks 365Jackson County Sheriff 21,002Potawatomi Tribal Police 244Holton Police 634Hoyt Police 394Mayetta Police 244

In 2017, there were 60,216 telephone calls either made or received in the

communications center, down from 61,224 in 2016. Of those calls, there were 32,292

incoming administrative calls, 24,300 outgoing administrative calls and 3,624 were 911

calls, of which 996 came from landlines, and 1,956 were wireless. In addition, 96 911

calls were transferred to other agencies and 576 calls were not identified.

The Communications Division also developed a new Jackson County fire and rescue

map showing the various fire districts. County roads and housing areas and other areas

of interest were updated. This is the first map of its kind for the communications center.

Maps will be distributed to fire and ems agencies.

Business Office

The Business Office of the Sheriff’s Office is under the leadership of Office Manager,

Sherri Ladner. The Business Office is in charge of numerous responsibilities including:

records, fiscal accounting, billing of services, preparing all employee payroll,

dissemination of open record documents, accident reports, offense reports, arrest

reports, jail commissary, inmate accounts, civil process, vehicle identification

inspections, sheriff sales, inventory, manages computer network and database, serves

as liaison between a variety of agencies, supports the Sheriff and Undersheriff.

Sherri Ladner also serves as the 911 Coordinator for Jackson County.

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Civil Process

In 2017, the Sheriff’s Office served 2,148 papers for the District Court of Jackson

County. In 2017, $10,350.00 in revenue was received from civil process. In 2016, the

Sheriff’s Office served 2,735 papers with revenue of $11,590.00. In 2015, the Sheriff’s

Office served 2,904 papers with revenue of $13,440.00. In 2014, 2,854 papers were

served with revenue amounting to $14,415.00.

The Sheriff’s Office served 818 summons, 931 subpoenas, 44 tax warrants, 12 show

causes, 4 writs of assistance, 130 orders to appear, 41 citations in contempt, 82

garnishments, 38 protection from abuse orders.

VIN Inspections

In 2017, deputies performed 916 vehicle identification number inspections and collected

$16,488.00 in revenue. In 2016, deputies performed 792 vehicle identification number

inspections compared with 740 in 2015. These inspections resulted in $14,256.00 in

revenue compared to $13,320.00 in 2015 and $13,302.00 collected in 2014.

Concealed Carry

In 2017, 24 concealed carry permits were processed by the Jackson County Sheriff’s

Office and $780.00 in revenue was collected. Conceal carry permits had doubled to 32

permits in 2016 from the year prior. In 2015, following the Kansas legislature easing

restrictions on concealed carry, 16 permits were issued compared to 57 in 2014. The

Sheriff collects $32.50 for each concealed carry application.

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Fingerprints

The Sheriff’s Office in 2017 fingerprinted 71 individuals for employment or background

purposes. The Sheriff’s Office collected $710.00 for fingerprints.

Reports

The Sheriff’s Office collected $860.00 for copies of reports in 2017.

Sheriff Sales

In 2017, the Sheriff’s Office conducted 10 Sheriff sales and earned revenue from the

sales of $75.00.

Special Law Enforcement Fund

In 2017, $10,722.75 was added to the special law enforcement fund from asset

forfeitures.

Technology

In February 2017, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office started issuing new Panasonic

tablets to 10 deputies, to be used as mobile data terminals in their patrol vehicles. The

process of loading software, purchasing licenses, personalizing each machine,

certifying deputies to use the State of Kansas system, and establishing connections

through wireless technology took time, but all 10 units were up and running within a

couple of months. This has been a great tool for law enforcement in the field and was

made possible through grant funds described later in this report.

In February 2017, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office suffered a technology setback

when one of two servers had a hard drive that started eating data due to a glitch in the

IBM software. The Sheriff’s Office IT provider reacted very quickly in restoring the data

and getting the system back on track.

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On July 26, 2017, during a severe thunderstorm, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

was struck by lightning. Phone systems, computers, camera systems, printers,

generator and other miscellaneous equipment were affected. It took many hours over a

span of 4 months to get all equipment replaced and back to original full operation. Five

computers were damaged beyond repair and two computers had to have motherboards

replaced at a total cost of approximately $8,850.00. Many components to the phone

system had to be replaced, including five actual phones with a total cost of

approximately $4,600.00. Two printers were destroyed and one was repaired at a total

cost of approximately $1,800.00. The Sheriff’s Office main generator suffered damage

and was repaired at a cost of just over $3,000.00. Equipment damaged at the jail cost

approximately $7,800.00. to repair or replace. The largest expense was to the dispatch

radio system as the lightning actually hit the dispatch center’s radio tower. Repairs

totaled more than $31,000.00. Small miscellaneous items totaled around another

$1,000.00. This was the second time since the Sheriff’s Office moved to its current

location in 1993, that lightning has struck the tower. The total damage of the strike

surpassed $58,000.00., which was paid by insurance, less $500.00 deductible.

Sheriff’s Office Grant Projects

The Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a third year of funding for Project A.C.T.

(Addressing Crime Together). This endeavor seeks to develop a system based victim

support program to enhance safety, participation and community collaboration for

victims of crime.

The project provides immediate support services to victims reporting a crime, and

ongoing services to crime victims involved in the criminal justice process. This

continuum of support from report of a crime, to sentencing of a crime, has been a

successful method to improve victim safety and offender accountability in our county.

This grant project is one of only a handful of victim service positions throughout the

state, working directly with law enforcement. This grant project is unique not only in its

rural setting but also in the development of victim services in Kansas.

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To date the Victims of Crime Act funding has allowed for 175 primary and secondary

victims of crime in Jackson County to receive services, serving 92 victims in 2017.

Project staff provided immediate support services, information, referrals, advocacy and

criminal justice support for victims reporting a crime in Jackson County. Participation

rates remained high with 97% of victims offered services participating in our program.

These services were collectively provided 1,107 times to 23 children and 69 adults with

over 400 project volunteer hours in 2017.

Services are initiated when law enforcement contacts project staff at the time a crime is

reported. Services are provided free of charge to victims and their families. In 2017, the

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office assisted a variety of victims regarding crimes such as:

sexual assault, physical assault, stalking, domestic violence, theft, survivors of homicide

victims, victims of child sexual assault and teen dating violence.

This project is made possible by the Victims of Crime Act passed in 1984, which

established the Crime Victims Fund. The U.S. Department of Justice distributes these

funds to the states. In Kansas, the (KGGP) Kansas Governor’s Grant Program

administers these funds. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office was awarded $76,732 in

federal funds for this project in 2017. The Sheriff’s Office applied for and has received a

third year of funding for this project in 2018.

The Federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG)

This program provides funding opportunities to state and local

jurisdictions for the purpose of improving community and law

enforcement safety through information, technology, victim

services and reduced recidivism. The Kansas Criminal Justice

Coordinating Council (KCJCC) oversees the JAG Program in the

State of Kansas. The Kansas Governor’s Grants Program (KGGP)

serves as the staff for the KCJCC and point-of-contact for the federal JAG program.

In 2017, the Jackson County Sheriff’ Office received $72,520 in funding. These funds

allowed the Sheriff’s Office to purchase and install ten mobile computer terminals. This

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access to improved technology is designed to make deputies more efficient, more

effective, and more knowledgeable. This purchase allowed deputies to spend more time

on patrol and interacting with the community, by improving reporting capabilities and

eliminating the need to return to sub-stations or the office to complete and submit

reports. The Sheriff’s Office applied for and received another grant under this funding

opportunity for 2018 that will provide protective gear for deputies and additional car and

body cam video systems.

The 2nd Kansas Judicial District Court The 2nd Kansas Judicial District is comprised of Jackson, Jefferson, Pottawatomie and

Wabaunsee counties. Jackson County has led the district in the past and still leads the

district in a variety of categories. These statistics in no way are meant to diminish the

work that law enforcement officers do in other jurisdictions, each jurisdiction is faced

with its own unique obstacles. However, these statistics are here to show the citizens of

Jackson County the value they receive from their investment as taxpayers. Jackson

County leads the district in DUI cases and arrests. Jackson County also leads in felony

case filings with Jackson at 222, Jefferson 50, Pottawatomie 134 and Wabaunsee at 76.

Jackson County leads the district in both felony and misdemeanor guilty pleas. Jackson

County also leads in the number of jury trials and trial convictions.

Drone Program

In 2017, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office put drug asset forfeiture funds to good use

by putting the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Drone

Program into operation. The purpose of the program

is twofold. The program was instituted for locating lost

or endangered people and fugitives, and provides for

aerial mapping and digital recording of crime or

accident scenes. The Drone is outfitted with

sophisticated video equipment as well as “FLIR” a Forward Looking Infrared camera

system able to detect heat, which provides the aircraft with night vision for night

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operations or detecting those being searched for in hazardous or difficult geographical

situations.

School Resource Program

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has taken a proactive approach in school security

by continuing to provide a School Resource Officer (SRO) and to improve the services

to the three school districts in the county. This program is under the leadership of

Deputy John Calvert. The Sheriff’s Office believes that building and maintaining

positive law enforcement relationships with our area youth is a vital component to

keeping our community safe.

In 2017, approximately 100 sixth graders and 60 fourth graders graduated from the

Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T) courses taught in the county

schools. This course focuses on teaching our youth positive ways to handle stress,

anger, and other emotions as well as what to do and who to go to if the youth is a

witness or victim of bullying. The SRO division spent time in several other classrooms

teaching about other subjects including: Driver’s Education, Bill of Rights, Internet

Safety, Social Media, and Healthy Dating Relationships. The Sheriff’s Office has also

provided an SRO to speak to the community about some of the following topics: Social

Media (adults only), Bicycle Safety, Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts, and Motivational

Leadership. The Sheriff’s Office has also been able to speak with school faculty about

the importance of having up to date emergency procedures, and were able to introduce

up to date lockdown procedures for each school district to consider.

The Sheriff’s Office has been able to

provide security for high school

sporting events throughout the year.

This has given the opportunity to

continue the building of positive

relationships with area youth as well

as other community members.

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Working with local high school students, the Sheriff’s Office was able to be a part of the

“School Zone Rap” which promoted safe, non-distracted driving around our area

schools. This production was featured on several news stations and was able to

highlight the work of our local students.

After attending a training about anti-bullying and absenteeism, the Jackson County

Sheriff’s Office was able to put out a public service announcement and was featured on

local news stations speaking about the importance of speaking up against bullying and

of school attendance. This led to Deputy Calvert being nominated for “Salute the

Badge,” a news story produced by WIBW.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office looks to continue the School Resource Officer

Division into 2018, and looks forward to maintaining the already established

relationships as well as starting to build new relationships throughout our

communities. \

SHERIFF’S DAY CAMP HITS ALL TIME RECORD OF ATTENDEES

In 2017, The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office hosted the 16 th

annual Sheriff’s Day Camp. This year had the largest

number of kids in attendance since it began in 2001 with 280 kids. The Sheriff’s Day Camp has been successful in

building strong relationships between the law enforcement

community and the youths of our county.

The 16th annual Jackson County Sheriff's Office Day Camp was held at Banner Lake

Reservoir near Holton on August 10 and 11 th. The Sheriff's Day Camp featured the

following events and activities: an emergency vehicle demonstration and display,

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including fire trucks, ambulance, law enforcement vehicles, and an

armored swat truck. Emergency responders demonstrated their

equipment and techniques, including a Jaws of Life demonstration,

a K-9 illegal drug detection demonstration, Life Star Helicopter

landing and a felony vehicle stop and arrest demonstration.

Kids also were able to participate in an obstacle course, archery,

swimming, canoeing, paddle boats, fishing, hay rack ride, wipe out, rock wall climbing,

24 foot mountain, demonstration at the Banner Creek Observatory and Science Center

which included an eclipse program and a program by the Department of Wildlife, Parks

and Tourism animal and fishing program.

Numerous volunteers, including several elected and local governmental officials

assisted with the camp including:

The Jackson County Commissioners, Banner Reservoir, Jackson County Appraiser’s

Office, Jackson County Emergency Management, Jackson County Road and Bridge

Department, Jackson County EMS, Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism,

Kansas Highway Patrol, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Swat Team, KDWPT Archery

in the Schools, Potawatomi Tribal Fire Department, City of Holton, Holton Police

Department, Hoyt Fire Department, Holton Fire Department, Banner Creek

Observatory and Science Center, Honey Do’s Septic Tank and Drain, Walmart, Roush

and Son’s Towing and Recovery, LLC, Fifth Street Sandwich Shop, United Rental,

Circleville Christian Church,. Shawnee County Parks and Rec, City of Onaga Swimming

Pool, Potawatomi Victim’s Services, Frito Lay, Holton Lion’s Club, Bikers Against Child

Abuse, Life Star of Kansas and the men and women of the Jackson County Sheriff’s

Office assisted with or sponsored the event.

The 2018 or 17th Annual Sheriff’s Day Camp will be held August 9 th and 10th at Banner

Creek Reservoir. Registration forms can be found on the Jackson County Sheriff’s

Office website at www.jasoks.org and they will be available starting May 1st, at the

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Jackson County Sheriff’s Office located at 210 US Hwy 75, Holton, Kansas, or for more

information call 785-364-2251.

Maintenance Division

The Maintenance Division of the Sheriff’s Office had many accomplishments during the

year. Vehicle and building maintenance were the main focus, but also included assisting

with the Sheriffs day camp, and helping citizens along the roadways. Working alongside

corrections officers, the maintenance department has been able to make great

improvement to the Jackson County Jail. These improvements included: replacement of

old lighting with efficient LED lighting, replacement of two outdated rooftop

heating/cooling units, increasing jail water pressure with the installation of a booster

pump resolving plumbing toilet and sink issues, replacement of a defective jail hot water

heater, replacement of the kitchen garbage disposal and multiple faucets and

renovation of the jail recreation yard. The largest repair in 2017 was the replacement of

the jail roof. There have been many other repairs to the jail and Sheriff’s Office

throughout last year.

Preventive maintenance has also been a priority of the Maintenance Division. The

Maintenance Division have been tasked with hanging rooftop filters, cleaning and

inspecting all kitchen appliances and making sure all safety equipment is in proper

working order. Other smaller repairs have been made as well, these including the

clearing of toilets as needed and replacement of various plumbing parts and

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replacement of electrical outlets/light switches, replacement of the video surveillance

system and building security system during the lighting strike event of 2017.

Fleet maintenance is another large part of the Maintenance Division. The Sheriff’s

Office is comprised of patrol, jail and support vehicles. The Maintenance Division is

responsible for all aspects of these vehicles. The Maintenance Division has performed

approximately 100 oil changes, 20 full brake replacements, 25 partial brake

replacements and 110 tire repair/replacements. A major repair in 2017 was the

replacement of a patrol vehicle’s transmission. Other repairs include water pump

replacement, full head replacement, power steering pumps, fuel pumps and more.

There have also been a few vehicle accidents with deer that the Maintenance Division

has played a part in repairing. The Sheriff’s Office routinely updates vehicles in the fleet

and as that happens the Maintenance Division often disassembles the old vehicle’s

emergency equipment. As the new vehicles are built, the Maintenance Division

coordinates with the builders to supply any parts and equipment they may need. The

Maintenance Division has worked closely with the deputies to address any

needs/concerns they may have. In doing so, the Maintenance Division has been able to

learn how to install and repair the WatchGuard camera system, in car and body cams

and install and service communication equipment.

The Maintenance Division has reduced repair costs for the Sheriff’s Office, and provides

for preventive maintenance and the ability have repairs done immediately and

eliminates the agency from not being dependent on the schedule of outside vendors.

It is obvious that a lot goes on in the course of a year when protecting a county.

Jackson County is fortunate to have some of the best deputies, corrections officers,

dispatchers and employees that all work together in keeping everyone safe. It is our

goal that we continue to improve our service and do a better job in serving our public

each year.

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WISHING YOU A SAFE 2018

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office had another productive year in keeping our county

safe. It is a privilege to serve the great people of Jackson County, and we look forward

in doing so in 2018. Don’t forget to follow the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office on Twitter

and Facebook and you are welcome to join the Jackson County Community Watch

program and sign up for alerts. For more information, go to www.jasoks.org. The

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office App is available on Itunes or Apple Play. Be safe, wear

your seatbelts, don’t text and drive, report suspicious situations immediately and have a

SAFE 2018.

Sheriff Tim Morse

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