January 2024 has been a busy month for the sheriff’s office, with progress being made on several projects and updates.
A major grant fund project to replace the control system for the jail began in the first week of January. I have been fortunate to apply for and receive over $350,000 in grant funding for jail improvements over the last year and a half. In January, I had in person meetings and telephone conference calls with emergency services and leadership from Fort Leonard Wood about the reduced hours at the south gate. Chief Deputy Rowdy Douglas and I also attended the public meeting held at the Roby Community Center on the 25th. There is nothing positive about this change for citizens of Texas County and I hope it will be reconsidered.
On Jan. 6, a memorial service was held for former Texas County Reserve Deputy Nick Meizler. I was fortunate to have Nick as a friend and employee. Nick was a sergeant with the Licking Police Department during my time as chief there and he went on to work for the drug task force. Nick was a friend and a good police officer who helped many people.
Deputies were provided Narcan training in January. An unfortunate necessity with the national epidemic of fentanyl crossing our southern border from Mexico. Narcan works to reverse the effects of an opiate drug overdose. On average in the United States, 136 people die every day from opioid overdoses. Until we have a secure border it will continue to flow into the United States.
The county budget was approved in January, and I look forward to being able to purchase a couple of new vehicles for the fleet. Maintenance costs have hit hard for vehicle repairs so far in 2024 and it would help to rotate a couple of higher mileage vehicles out of regular patrol. Sheriff’s deputies have take home patrol vehicles that allow them to respond from their house for emergency calls after hours. Sheriff’s office personnel also received a $0.50 an hour wage increase in the new budget.
Detective Aaron Sigman has hit the ground running in his new position. I’m very excited to see what Aaron can accomplish focusing on investigations. The detective will be assigned cases to investigate by the sheriff or chief deputy. Patrol deputies will continue to handle many of their own investigations, but Detective Sigman will be focused on cases that require more time for follow up.
Looking over the reports for January, the most prevalent calls were domestic violence. There were also several stealing complaints including instances of checks being stolen from mailboxes. I would encourage citizens to be aware of that possibility and report any suspicious circumstances. Some other ways to help prevent this type of crime is to have checks sent by certified mail or to a post office box.