Monthly Report for April 2022
Dear Citizens,
This month we celebrated National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. "Telecommunicators" is the professional title for those we affectionately call Dispatchers or 9-1-1 Operators. They are the true First Responder. The lifeline for not only the community but for the Officers, Deputies, Firefighters and Paramedics on the street. They are the hero most will never meet. Please take time to thank and honor these heroes in your community. Let them know you appreciate the job they do. We send them all our thanks and tip our hats in their honor as these folks are a very special group of individuals. I am proud of our telecommunications officers, the job they do for our officers, fireman, first responders and our community each day.
The stress, patience and multiple hats they must wear in a day is not known by most. Even when faced with a troubling or emotional call, those that can stick with you or even gets under their skin, the dispatcher remains calm and carries on. They take a breath, put their emotions aside and keep going because that's what it takes.
I hope you will join me in honoring them this week and letting them know they are appreciated.
The NCSO will be observing National Correctional Officers Week Sunday, May 1st though Saturday, May 7th. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5187, creating "National Correctional Officers' Week." Each year, the first full week in May is recognized as National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, commemorating the contributions of correctional officers and personnel who work in jails, prisons, and community corrections across the country.
The services provided by the dedicated and hard working men and women of corrections are vital to every community. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank and recognize the families of these correctional officers as well. These men and women are also husbands, wives, mothers and fathers and often have to miss school activities, holidays, weekends and other activities with their families because of the job. Would you please join me in thanking our Navarro County Sheriff's Office correctional officers for their dedication and commitment to our community.
I very much appreciate each and every one of you and the service that you provide daily.
Thank you Andy Williams and the board of directors and members of the 100 Club of Navarro County for your continued dedication, encouragement and support of local law enforcement. This year's donation to the NCSO will go toward the purchase of tactical equipment for our SWAT team. Your generosity is always and greatly appreciated.
On April 4th we were finally able to present retired Patrol Sergeant Kris Matthews a plaque and duty badge for over 23 years of service at the NCSO. Thank you Kris for your years of service and we wish you continued good luck with your position at Navarro College Department of Public Safety.
On Monday, April 4th Deputy Holmes conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle for an observed traffic code violation. Deputy Holmes made contact with the driver of the vehicle who gave a fictitious date of birth and a different spelling of his last name.
During the course of the investigation Deputy Holmes located a prescription bottle with several controlled substance pills not prescribed to the suspect and approximately 7 grams of suspected cocaine was located. The suspect was arrested for multiple charges including possession of controlled substance PG 1 over 4g under 200g, possession of a controlled substance PG 3 under 28g, and fail to ID.
On April 25th at approximately 9:45pm, Navarro County dispatch was notified of a possible robbery in progress at 202 W. Hwy 31 in Dawson TX, at the Family Dollar Store. Responding Deputies were advised that the suspect was still in the store with possibly at least three staff members and was demanding money from the safe. Information was provided to dispatch that the suspect could be armed with an unknown caliber handgun. Upon Deputies arrival they learned two employees had escaped from the store but one remained inside hiding. The suspect came to the front entrance of the store to make contact with Deputies and was displaying a Smith and Wesson .38 special revolver handgun.
The suspect advised Deputies he had been in prison for approximately 21 years for a murder, was out on parole and was not going back to prison. After a brief standoff, Deputies were able to get the suspect to put down his weapon and surrender to Sheriff's Deputies. Upon a search of the store, deputies were able to locate the third employee that was hiding and everyone was removed safely without injury. The suspect was identified as 65 year old Arlie Glenn Gaston of Celeste, TX. Mr. Gaston was booked into the Navarro County Detention Center for Aggravated Robbery where he remains in custody being held on a $150,000 bond.
This month we held our NCSO award ceremony for 2021 and want to recognize and congratulate the following individuals on being acknowledged for their hard work and dedication to both the agency and our citizens:
Deputy of the Year: Patrol Sergeant Travis Thurston
Employee of the Year: Communications Officer Deanna Francek
Detention Officer of the Year: Sonia Rivera
We congratulate these officers for a job well done and commend them on their accomplishments. Congratulations also to our own NCSO dispatchers Kateley Craig Smith and Kathy Basnett who received the NCT 9-1-1 Professionalism Award this month. We are proud of these ladies and the excellent job they do here at the NCSO.
This month we introduce new officers and promotions:
We are proud to welcome back Kevin Jernigan and he will be assigned to the detention division at the rank of Corporal. Justin Rogers begins his new career at the NCSO in detention and we wish him all the best with his new position and career.
Congratulations to Deputies Wesley Devorak, Adam Hollifield and Courtney Lynch on successfully completing our patrol field training program and they now begin their assignment in the patrol division and look forward to them serving the citizens of Navarro County. We also congratulate Deputies Eric Wilson and Joey Palos on being promoted to Corporal in the Patrol Division effective May 1st and we wish all those mentioned the very best in their new positions.
The Sheriff's Office had approximately 2,709 calls for service in April and our dispatch received 1,781 calls for assistance to 9-1-1. There were approximately 207 persons arrested and booked into the Navarro County Justice Center and the average daily jail population was 230 inmates. Nine inmates were transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and four inmates were transferred to State Jail and SAFP Units to serve their sentences. In April, we estrayed one donkey that was hauled to our county farm at Petty's Chapel as well, as sold five estray donkeys at Elkhart Horse Sale for $1,133.50.
We are accepting applications for all divisions and currently have vacancies in detention, dispatch, patrol, courthouse security, administration and the criminal investigation division. Remember the hiring age for dispatch and detention has been lowered to 18 but with all other enforcement positions, you must be 21 or older to apply. As in the past, applications will continue to be taken for any vacancy until the position is filled.
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." -Arthur Ashe
As always, God Bless and be safe,
Sheriff Elmer Tanner
