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Roles of the Office of Sheriff
The Sheriff's Office is primarily charge with law enforcement
responsibilities throughout Rice County and acting as an officer of the Rice
County District Court. Below is a description of the functions carried out
by the Sheriff and his officers.
PATROL AND INVESTIGATIONS
There are four full time deputies to assist the Sheriff
in the carrying out of enforcement of federal, state and county laws and
resolutions. Efforts are made to maintain a high level of visibility
throughout the approximate 740 square miles of the county through regular patrol
shifts. Manpower does not permit for deputies to be as visible as they
wish in all areas of the county.
Deputies are graduates of the Kansas Law Enforcement
Training Center and must attend a minimum of 40 hours of training annually to
maintain their certificates. They are trained in all aspects of criminal
justice from crime scene investigation through case preparation to result in
successful prosecutions. They work closely with local police departments,
state agencies such as the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Federal Agencies.
The staff is experienced in all types of felony and misdemeanor case
investigation.
CIVIL PROCESS
The Sheriff is responsible for service of papers
generated through District Courts in Rice County as well as Kansas and all of
the United States. On average the office serve approximately 2,400 pieces
of process annually. These are mostly civil actions and other items such
as subpoenas directing an individual to appear before a court. The office
employs one person part time for this responsibility who on occasion is assisted
by uniformed officers.
JAIL OPERATION
By statute the Sheriff is responsible for operation of
the county jail. Rice County Commissioners elected to construct a
facility, which opened in October of 2001, to replace the structure used since
1927. The new facility is a much safer environment for those incarcerated
as well as the detention officers employed there. The jail facility houses
62 inmates in the housing area and has several other specialized settings for
additional inmates such as trustees, those being segregated for behavior or
safety issues and those who may be ill. Rice County utilizes approximately
20 - 25% of the bed space and the remainder is rented out to assist in the
financial obligation of the construction of the building. Currently the
rented beds are used primarily by Sedgwick and Johnson Counties.
911
The county 911 dispatch center operates under the
supervision of the Sheriff. It is staffed 24 hours a day and is available
to assist citizens with their needs. The center provides services for all
law enforcement and fire departments within Rice County as well as the EMS
system. They also serve the Kansas Highway Patrol troopers as well as
service agencies in the area such as utility providers. Currently
technology upgrades are being undertaken to give the center the capability of
locating a cell phone caller in the time of crisis. This will be
especially valuable for travelers unfamiliar with the area or those who are
distraught or in shock due to the nature of the emergency.
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