Operating a law enforcement agency on a county level is always a major task, and that was definitely true for the Texas County Sheriff’s Department in 2023.
In fact, last year presented more of a challenge than usual, as deputies dealt with a record 11,713 calls, up significantly from the 8,689 recorded in 2022. During 2023, TCSD officers responded to 994 calls requiring written reports, compared to 769 in 2022.
“It was a busy year,” said Sheriff Scott Lindsey. “It felt that way throughout the year, and then when I ran the numbers it proved that. There wasn’t a major increase in serious crimes, but overall activity was up.”
Violent crime in Texas County in 2023 did see a spike in weapons offenses, as there were 13 incidents compared to only 4 in 2022. There were also four recorded rape cases last year, along with 1 murder and 1 robbery – all the same as in 2022.
“Whenever you deal with these statistics, it always matters how the 911 center categorizes a call, or how the deputies make a call show up in the system,” Lindsey said. “But it’s good to try to capture what we do in statistics, and maybe some of this increase in activity is because we’re doing a better job of capturing what our guys do. But that’s a good thing.”
One category that saw a big increase was animal-related calls. There were 334 last year (the highest in Lindsey’s five full years in office) compared to 278 the previous year.
Lindsey said people are sometimes disappointed with the result of a deputy’s response in this category, but counties must follow state guidelines that are less strict than those of many municipalities.
“It seems like we’re dealing with some sort of animal call almost every day,” Lindsey said, “which can be anything from horses getting out and causing problems to dogs doing something and a number of other things. It’s kind of unique for us, because the cities have a lot of ordinances regarding animals, but we only operate off of state statutes. I’ve done radio shows and newspaper columns about this subject, but we can only do what the state allows us to do, and that frustrates some people.
“I’ve encouraged our representatives to look at some legislation that would help out with this. But we’re definitely seeing an increase in animal calls, and it will be interesting to see if that trend continues.”
Another big increase was in public information and assistance calls that totaled 3,182, as opposed to 2,332 in 2022.
“I think it’s a good thing when people call us and ask for our help,” Lindsey said. “We deal with a lot of fraud and scam schemes, and I hope that number shows that people are calling us about that stuff. We’re still seeing some big monetary losses, and it hurts when I see those, especially with our elderly citizens in the county who are being taken advantage of.
“But a lot of that could just be people simply asking questions, that’s part of what we’re here for.”
Missing person calls also increased noticeably, totaling 56 last year compared to 38 in 2022.
“I can’t really point to a reason for that,” Lindsey said, “but if people are reporting things like that, that’s good.”
The John Dudding missing person case reached its one-year anniversary on Feb. 5.
“He is still missing,” Lindsey said. “I can’t share a lot of information about it, because it’s still a very active investigation and it’s our goal to find a resolution on that. But the last thing I want to do is put information out there that would compromise an investigation.”
Calls for suspicious activity and suspicious vehicles both increased to 5-year highs in 2023.
“I commend our community members for reporting when they see something that doesn’t belong,” Lindsey said. “Sometimes it just takes a little information to solve a case, and I appreciate when someone provides us information.”
Traffic complaints and traffic stops also hit 5-year highs in 2023.
“The highway patrol is spread more thin than in the past, which probably affects this,” Lindsey said.
Traffic stops totaled 825 last year, compared to 458 in 2022.
“I don’t think some people are aware that traffic enforcement is not our primary mission,” Lindsey said. “It’s to deal with calls for service and crime investigation. But I think those numbers are good, because it shows the deputies are out there patrolling. And my opinion is that most of the people who commit a crime in Texas County are probably using a vehicle to get somewhere to commit that crime, so I like to remind the officers that when they do make a traffic stop, they shouldn’t focus as much on ticket writing as noticing evidence of criminal activity.”
PERSONNEL
Thanks in large part to a 3/8-cent sales tax to fund the TCSD passed by voters in 2021, Lindsey has a full roster of 10 patrol deputies and a complete staff at the jail.
“I feel very fortunate for that,” Lindsey said, “because there aren’t many sheriffs or police chiefs in Missouri – or the nation – who can say that. I feel like we have a good mix right now of young, go-getters and more experienced guys who have seen a lot and can advise those younger ones on how to do things.
“I think we have some good people who want to make a difference, and I’m proud to have a full staff.”
A new detective position was added late last year. Former deputy Aaron Sigman has returned to the TCSD and has filled that spot.
“I’m really excited to have that position,” Lindsey said. “Overall, I’m proud of my team and I think they give a great effort, but the one area I think we can improve upon is follow-up on cases. The deputies are so busy handling new calls that they have difficulty finding time for follow-up, and that’s where having a detective will really help.
“There are some cases he’ll work from beginning to end, but a lot of what is assigned to him will be cases where a deputy handled the initial call.”
THE FLEET
Lindsey said two pickup trucks have been ordered.
“Just like with any fleet, you have to keep updating it,” Lindsey said. “Some of our vehicles have more than 150,000 miles on them and those are hard law enforcement miles. And the fact is, we run into deer here in Texas County and we have a couple of vehicles down right now due to that.”
THE TAX
Lindsey said the full staffing is direct evidence of the positive effect of the tax revenue.
“It’s been a great thing,” he said. “It has allowed us to pay a competitive wage and retain employees and update some of the fleet.”
Lindsey said there are still things being worked out between the county commission and the TCSD regarding the tax revenue, including the fact that the tax is not being applied to utility bills.
“I think when the voters voted for it, they didn’t expect an exception on their utility bills. I think everybody thought that whatever they already paid sales tax on was going to increase by 3/8 of a cent.
“I would like to find a resolution to that, and I will continue to work with the commissioners to find it.”
This May, Lindsey will have been in law enforcement for 26 years. He is in the final year of his first full term, after becoming sheriff in November of 2018 when his predecessor was ousted due to multiple issues. He intends to seek reelection later this year.
“I’m excited about what we’ve accomplished,” he said, “but it’s not done by any means. There are still a lot of things I want to do here to help the people of Texas County, and I hope to have that opportunity.”
