Dear Citizens,
I want to express my sincere appreciation and how very thankful I am to the Navarro County citizens for voting me "Best of the Best County Law Enforcement Officer" and "Best of the Best County Official." To have been voted "Best of the Best" seven years in a row now, I feel not only extremely honored but am especially humbled and greatly appreciate your continued encouragement and support particularly during this past year and these last trying five months. Calvin Coolidge said "No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
It has been an honor to have served you for almost 32 years, with the past 7+ as your sheriff, fulfilling my responsibilities with dedication and integrity. I promise to continue taking pride in my position, my duties and staying dedicated to serving the citizens of this county.
I also want to congratulate our own Corporal Esther Avery of the Navarro County Sheriff's Office on being awarded Best of the Best County Employee for 2020. Corporal Avery has worked 11 years here at the NCSO as a Telecommunicator. We are proud of Esther and we thank all the citizens who voted to help her receive this well-deserved award.
Four years ago on July 7th was another one of those difficult days that I stood numb and felt absolute dread. Not only as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the county but as a brother in blue. I, like you, was watching on the news that night as an ambush, a cowardly attack unfolded on our law enforcement brothers and sisters in Dallas. Later that night we learned that eleven officers were shot and of those eleven, five of those officers, lost their lives due to this heinous act. Four of the deceased officers served on the DPD and the fifth was someone close to home.
Brent Thompson was a former resident of our county, a NCSO deputy, CISD Police Officer and a (DART) Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Officer. A husband, father, son and the brother of our own District Attorney, Lowell Thompson who since then we have also lost. Sam and Paulette who I greatly care about and respect, have had much heartache in these past years. Officers were then and are more so now than ever, under attack. Every day, without fail, law enforcement officers serve this nation with courage, bravery and distinction by protecting ALL of us from harm. The percentage of those who are just, dedicated and do the right thing far exceed the small percentage that choose to do wrong and unjust acts.
We cannot let all these past officers, as well as any future lives that are lost, their names, valor, what they believed in and stood for, be lost in vain.
Our profession is hurting and we are heartbroken. Again we are hated, we are targeted and many are demanding we be defunded and killed. I ask that you please join me and the men and women of the NCSO, to pray for our strength. I ask that you remember and never forget the Dallas officers and all those officers since that have lost their lives. Never forget their families as they will never have another day where they will ever feel the same. As with any loss, they will feel a void like none other. Especially due to the way their loved ones were removed and taken from their lives.
To the families of DPD Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, DPD Officer Michael Krol, DPD Sgt. Michael Smith, DART Officer Brent Thompson, DPD Officer Patricio "Patrick" Zamarripa, I will remember the sacrifice these officers made and all those who have lost their lives since.
On Monday, July 6th at approximately 3:30 p.m., NCSO Detectives went to a residence in the 500 block of South 19th in Corsicana on a credit card abuse investigation.
Detectives made contact at the residence and identified five subjects at the location, confirming one of the suspects was the suspect involved with the credit card abuse investigation. They were ultimately able to not only recover the stolen credit card but several items that had been purchased with the credit card. Detectives also observed inside the residence narcotic paraphernalia in plain view which led to obtaining a narcotic search warrant for the location.
The officers executed the search warrant and located evidence of narcotic distribution taking place at the residence. Officers seized digital scales and approximately 8.5 grams of methamphetamine packaged individually and ready for street level distribution. As a result of the investigation, one suspect was arrested for Credit Card Abuse and one suspect was arrested for Manufacture/Delivery Controlled Substance PG 1 > 4g < 200g. I am proud of our detectives who not only solved this financial crime but also stopped these illegal drugs from hitting the streets of our community.
On Wednesday, July 8, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the NCSO Narcotics Unit with the assistance of NCSO Patrol conducted a traffic stop and investigation after observing a traffic violation. The traffic stop was conducted at the intersection of W 13th Ave and S 28th St. in Corsicana. The officers spoke with the driver who during the investigation confessed to having narcotic paraphernalia inside the vehicle. A search of the vehicle yielded a quantity of methamphetamine of approximately 2.8 grams including packaging along with narcotic paraphernalia. One subject was arrested and charged with Possession of controlled substance PG 1 > 1G < 4G.
On Wednesday, July 22 at about 8:40 am, NCSO Deputies Morales and Richards conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle for an observed violation on E HWY 31 near NE 0010 Corsicana. During the course of the investigation, the deputies received verbal consent to search the vehicle and located approximately 5.7 grams of Methamphetamine, a quantity of marijuana less than 2 ounces and narcotics paraphernalia. As a result of the investigation, three persons were arrested and charged with possession of controlled substance PG 1 over 4 under 200 grams and possession of marijuana under 2 ounces.
On Friday, July 24th at approximately 8:23 a.m., the NCSO Narcotics Unit went to a location in the 900 Block of E. Park Avenue in Corsicana in reference to a narcotics complaint about prescription pills being sold from the residence. The officers met with the homeowner about the complaint and obtained consent to search the residence. Officers located drug paraphernalia, prescription pills, prescription pill bottles with partially missing labels and with the entire labels removed. One subject was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance PG 3 > 28g < 200g (F3). The officers also located $7,090 in US Currency believed to be proceeds from narcotic sales. The currency was seized and will be subject to asset forfeiture. Another great job by our officers of consistently working to keep narcotics off our streets.
On Monday, July 27th at approximately 3:34 a.m., the Navarro County Sheriff's Office was alerted to a theft in progress of an ATV in the 200 block of Austin Avenue, Richland. The owner furnished partial vehicle and clothing descriptions of the multiple suspects that were observed stealing their Kawasaki ATV. NCSO deputies observed both of the suspect vehicles and stolen ATV headed northbound on IH 45 near Corsicana. Deputy Rider and Sgt. Loftis initiated pursuit of the suspect vehicle and trailer carrying the stolen ATV North on IH 45 while Corporal Espinosa stopped the second vehicle and detained both occupants.
The driver of the vehicle carrying the stolen ATV abandoned the vehicle just north of chambers creek and ran across the interstate through oncoming traffic as the abandoned vehicle continued Northbound. Sgt. Loftis was forced to stay with the abandoned vehicle and trailer due to it being an immediate traffic hazard from being left in the traffic lanes of the interstate while Deputy Rider initially pursued the suspect on foot.
The NCSO drone was deployed to the location and a request was forwarded to TDCJ Beto 1 Unit for scent specific and tracking dogs. The suspect pickup and trailer were later confirmed as stolen through separate agencies. As the manhunt continued, we received information from multiple sources that a suspect matching our suspect's description was walking North near the Cowboy Church in Alma. Lt. Lewis arrived in the area and observed the suspect walking North along I-45. The suspect was taken into custody and found to have an outstanding parole warrant flagged caution for violent tendencies, parole violation, aggravated robbery, 2 counts of burglary of a habitation and manufacture deliver controlled substance cocaine.
The three suspects have all been arrested and charged with felony engaging in organized crime and the wanted suspect also received additional charges of unauthorized use of motor vehicle and felony evading arrest. As always, we appreciate the support and assistance of our community for being alert and reporting suspicious activity. A big thank you TDCJ Beto 1 Unit as well as CPD and Dawson PD for their assistance that day. As I had hoped, having had numerous ATV's stolen in this county within the past couple of months, I am proud to report that as a result of the ATV theft arrests we have already solved five additional ATV thefts in our county. Our criminal investigation division is working diligently to continue clearing more cases and hopefully locate and recover more stolen property.
The Sheriff's Office had approximately 2,521 calls for service in July and dispatch received 2,124 calls for assistance to 9-1-1. There were approximately 130 persons arrested and booked into the Navarro County Justice Center and the average daily jail population was 208 inmates. The Narcotics Unit arrested eight suspects, filed eight criminal cases. No inmates were transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and no inmates were transferred to State Jail or SAFP Units per COVID-19 restrictions. This month we sold one estray miniature bull at Corsicana Livestock Auction for $259.07.
We had one resignation this month but proudly introduce both new employees and new employee assignments to our citizens:
Breanna Parks has been hired as an administrative assistant, Brandon Glasgow and Fritz Kloecker have been assigned to detention and Deputy Kit Carson Waldrop as our newest patrol deputy. Deputy Waldrop began his law enforcement career at the Limestone County Sheriff's Office before hiring on here at the NCSO as a telecommunicator. While working at the NCSO, Deputy Waldrop attended and later graduated the Navarro College Police Academy where he received his state certification as a Texas Peace Officer.
Deputy Kathy Basnett transferred from courthouse security to NCSO communications and has been an employee of the NCSO since 2011 where she began as a telecommunications officer. She has years of experience and is quite an asset in telecommunications and is also a telecommunications training officer with a master Telecommunicators license. We congratulate these new and established employees and wish them all the very best with their new and revisited positions.
We are currently accepting applications for vacancies in our detention, courthouse security and patrol divisions. As in the past, applications will continue to be taken for any vacancy until the position is filled.
"Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes."- Zig Ziglar
As always, now more than ever, God bless and be safe.
Sheriff Elmer Tanner
