Monthly Report for February 2017

Dear Citizens,

I would like to begin by saying how thankful and grateful I am to you all as I begin my second term as the Sheriff of Navarro County. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as your Sheriff and grateful for all the kind words and support that you have shown me during my first term in office. I take the title of Chief Law Enforcement Officer for the county very serious and believe I have demonstrated such as well as my commitment every day to the NCSO and to the citizens. I believe, and sincerely hope that you feel, that I have lived up to my campaign promise of “Meeting your needs exceeding your expectations”.

I am very proud to report that over my first term of office approximately $3,000,000 of unused budgeted funds was returned to the taxpayers of Navarro County while upgrading almost every aspect of the NCSO.

There was a completed pay restructure for the NCSO that allowed us to fill 19 vacant positions and stop losing our trained and qualified staff to other agencies because of noncompetitive salaries.

We have passed our Texas Commission on Jail Standards inspections every year, improved technology by installing a completely new computer system that has many upgraded features including enhancing our communications capability by adding text to 9-1-1, mobile data in the vehicles, a vehicle tracking system which allows dispatch to track our patrol vehicles for officer safety and to get quicker response times to calls for service. The deputies can now complete computerized reports from their vehicles and transfer them to the office. This new system not only reduces redundant paperwork but needless man hours of doing repetitive paperwork as well.

We have developed a website and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to keep our citizens informed and updated on current NCSO activity. The new website has an inmate portal option that allows citizens to search current jail records for arrests, charges and bonding information. Our patrol fleet has been upgraded with 15 Chevy Tahoes which has significantly reduced our patrol maintenance bills and have added a new prisoner transport van to replace a unit that was over 15 years old.

Security at the Sheriff’s Office was upgraded by installing security cameras, adding bullet proof glass, duress alarms and other security protocol. Additional cameras and security measures were added to the jail and we increased courthouse security personnel as well.

We replaced a major section of the original jail roof that was built in 1988, have addressed repairs inside the jail to include routine maintenance such as cleaning and painting as well as construction projects such as repairing doors by adding stainless steel and adding new tile for wall and shower repairs.
A new inmate video visitation system was added in the jail as well as a formal Jail Chaplaincy Ministry service was established.

A multi purpose building was built on our west parking lot which houses our tactical vehicles and equipment and is used by our CID and narcotics units to process vehicles for evidence.
We have re-allocated positions to better serve our citizens, reconfigured our shifts, for the first time in over thirty years have changed our uniforms as well as changed our vehicle logos and striping.

We have upgraded the personal protective equipment for our patrol and tactical divisions, enhanced our less lethal munitions capability with the addition of the JPX Pepper Gun and we will now for the first time, issue our enforcement officers Glock 17 9mm semi-auto handguns as their primary duty weapon.

This is only a brief summary of some of the changes that have been made over the past four years at the NCSO. There have been many other changes, too numerous to mention, with upgrades to our equipment, policies and procedures.

The Sheriff's Office had 29,021 calls for service during 2016 and our dispatch received 26,359 calls for assistance to 9-1-1. We conducted 2,284 traffic stops and our criminal investigative division investigated 995 criminal cases. Our tactical team conducted 136 hours of in house tactical training along with attending numerous tactical schools. There were approximately 3,318 persons arrested and booked into the Navarro County Justice Center and the average daily jail population was 218 inmates during 2016.

The Narcotics Unit arrested 298 State suspects and 3 Federal suspects, filed 394 State level criminal cases, 1 Federal case and served 119 outstanding arrest warrants. The narcotics unit seized $752,260.00 in counterfeit money and an additional $3,738.00 in cash assets. The narcotics unit seized 3 outdoor marijuana grows, 2 indoor marijuana grows and seized various other drugs across the county with a combined street value of $1,418,148.00

One hundred thirty six inmates were transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and 174 other inmates were transferred to State Jail and SAFP units to serve their sentences in 2016. We responded to 617 animal complaint calls and we removed estray livestock on 39 occasions during 2016 ultimately picking up 42 horses, 30 head of cattle, 10 donkeys, and one goat. The NCSO collected $5.175.00 in estray fees and collected $10,417.97 from the sale of estray livestock. We had 17 persons resign, or retire and 18 persons were hired in 2016.

On January 2, 2017 I was sworn in for a second term as Sheriff by District Judge James Lagomarsino. I immediately swore approximately 135 employees into service for the NCSO.

The tactical team was called out to an armed and dangerous barricaded person call with shots fired which was successfully resolved.

On January 3rd, the NCSO SWAT team arrested a suspect without incident at the 220 milepost of IH-45 after he was involved in a 4 county crime spree that involved violent felony cases in all 4 counties. The suspect had shot at a Limestone County Deputy and allegedly committed several armed robberies during this event.

The NCSO received a 9-1-1 call from the Angus Discount Liquor Store reporting a physical altercation in the parking lot. The clerk reported that two men were fighting in the parking lot and one man had just been stabbed in the back with a knife. The clerk also advised that the other party had entered the store and barricaded himself inside the store. Within minutes the clerk advised one suspect/victim had left the location and the barricaded person was also leaving the store. The clerk provided suspect vehicle descriptions on both vehicles and NCSO units located one of the suspects immediately on the west service road of I-45 at Angus. The second suspect was located by NCSO personnel minutes later on FM 2555 near Corsicana. Corsicana Fire and Rescue was deployed to treat the stabbing victim located on FM 2555. This incident is currently under investigation.

The Navarro County Sheriff's Office apprehended a wanted felon after he fled from a traffic stop in the 4000 block of NW 1150. Deputy Ryan Gant stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation and the driver initially complied with the Deputy by providing identification. The suspect then ran on foot and was found to be wanted for aggravated assault non family member out of Minnesota and a failure to ID warrant out of Navarro County. Deputies set a perimeter in the area and began a systematic search for the suspect. Deputies Ryan Gant, and Caleb Loftis were able to track the suspect and located him lying in waist high grass in an open field about 300 yards from the traffic stop. The subject was placed into custody without incident and transported to the Justice center.

The Navarro County Sheriff's office patrol and CID divisions recovered approximately $80,000.00 dollars of stolen equipment at a location on SE 0040 near Corsicana. The equipment was reported stolen out of Anderson County.

We truly appreciate the many citizens who supported the NCSO on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. On behalf of the NCSO, I would like to once again thank Don Parks and the Chase Parks Foundation for their generous donation of $3,500. This donation will be used by the NCSO narcotics unit for training and equipment. We greatly appreciate your generosity.

The Sheriff's Office had 3,306 calls for service in January and our Dispatch received 1,911 calls for assistance to 9-1-1. There were approximately 294 persons arrested and booked into the Navarro County Justice Center and the average daily jail population was 211 inmates. The Narcotics Unit arrested eight suspects, filed eight criminal cases and served four outstanding arrest warrants. Sixteen inmates were transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and two other inmates were transferred to State Jail and SAFP units to serve their sentences. This month we estrayed one horse and transported it to the county farm at Petty’s Chapel.

We had six resignations in January. We currently have three vacancies in detention, one patrol vacancy and a courthouse security position is available. As in the past, applications will continue to be taken for any vacancy until the position is filled.

We would like to recognize Anthony Larremore, Erica Morales, and Ashley Martinez who began their detention career at the NCSO in January 2017. We want to congratulate and wish well Johnny Lake, Calvin Gray and Kipp Thomas on their recent retirements from the NCSO. Together these officers had a combined 91 years of service at the NCSO.

We congratulate John Aulds on his transfer from courthouse security to District court bailiff, Sharon Williams on her transfer from Detention to courthouse security and Randall Blackwell from courthouse security to Administrative Deputy.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Again, thank you for your support and for the confidence you have had in me over the last four years and as always, God bless and be safe

Sheriff Elmer Tanner