Monthly Report January 2025
Dear Citizens,
As 2024 has come to an end and a new year begins, I, my family and all of us here at the Navarro County Sheriff's Office, would like to take this opportunity to extend our best wishes for a safe and prosperous New Year. We look forward to helping make 2025 a safe year for all those in our community. As your Sheriff, my commitment to the citizens remains strong and I will continue to work with you doing my best to improve the quality of life for the current and future residents of Navarro County.
It is my hope that 2025 will be a year when those in our community will extend a helping hand to their neighbors, coworkers, family, friends and strangers in need. It's a continued honor and pleasure to say "thank you" to all those that have continued to truly support me and the men and women of the NCSO. We will continue to strive in making our county a safer place to live and raise our families. We appreciate you all and wish you a full year of happiness, health and success.
Thank you to my longtime friend and District Judge James Lagomarsino for administering the Oath of Office the morning of January 1st. I am honored to have been sworn in as the Navarro County Sheriff for a 4th term. After being sworn into office, I immediately administered the oath of office to all the other officers of the NCSO.
On January 8th, acting on a request from law enforcement in Platte County, Missouri, the NCSO Criminal Investigation Division along with support by the patrol division, served an arrest warrant in the 1100 block of SW McKinney Street in Rice. The NCSO arrested the wanted suspect on the outstanding arrest warrant for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor out of the State of Missouri. The suspect is now in custody at the Justice Center and will be awaiting extradition. Good job by our officers in safely effecting this arrest without incident.
January 9th was recognized as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and I'd like to thank all those who answer the call. Thank you for putting your community and those in it above many things when the need arises. Officers put their lives on the line every day to protect many they do not even know. Many of those have little to no concern, care or respect, but yet the men and women who swore to protect and serve do just that. Regardless.
It's not easy giving up holidays, birthdays and family gatherings, missing your child's school events and sports games because when duty calls, you must drop everything and respond. So thank you for giving up on so much of your family life to serve the many who depend on you and thank you to those countless families for the sacrifices you also must make daily as well. You also are appreciated for understanding the dedication and calling.
Most importantly, thank you for doing a job most wouldn't do especially in these current times.
This month I was glad to be able to instruct an important Sheriff-Hosted School Safety Meeting at the Corsicana ISD Administration Building. In accordance with Local Government Code, Chapter 85.024 (https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/LG/htm/LG.85.htm...), being the sheriff of a county with a total population of less than 350,000, and where public schools are located, a semiannual school safety meeting will be conducted. Law enforcement officials from all agencies across Navarro County along with Fire, EMS, Emergency Management representatives and all school administrators were invited to attend. As many know, in today's world now more so than ever, school safety is of paramount importance and we have always taken this matter very seriously. I appreciate the opportunity to conduct a meeting of such significance and I appreciate all the professionals who came and were in attendance from throughout our county. Together we networked and discussed many issues in reference to school safety and the coordinated response in the event there were ever an incident.
Congratulations to NCSO Deputies Wade Hall, Harry Louque and Mason Avery on graduating from the Navarro College Police Academy. All three deputies have already passed the State Peace Officers exam and are ready for what is next in their careers. We wish our new Deputies all the best with their future endeavors at the NCSO and we look forward to them protecting and serving our citizens. A shout out and best wishes to all police academy graduates in their decisions and plans for the future as well.
We are proud to introduce our newest NCSO correctional officer Levi Howard who comes to us with approximately 3 1/2 years of prior military service in the U.S. Army. We certainly wish him all the best with his new position here at the NCSO.
A shout out and thank you to Tyrone Hood and Yo! Catfish and Burgers for the delicious burgers and fish plates that he personally delivered to the NCSO and The Harbor Restaurant for the delicious pizzas that were delivered to the NCSO. We appreciate you thinking of us.
On January 31st NCSO Deputy VanLoocke and Dispatcher Smith took part in answering questions and providing information at Rice ISD Career Day for grades 5-12. We always welcome the opportunity to interact with our youth who are the future leaders of tomorrow.
The Sheriff's Office had approximately 2,395 calls for service in January and our dispatch received 1,414 calls for assistance to 9-1-1. There were approximately 154 persons arrested and booked into the Navarro County Justice Center and the average daily jail population was 224 inmates. Twelve inmates were transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to serve their sentences.
In January, we sold one estray pig at Family Auction Center Athens for $19.
We are accepting applications for all divisions and currently have vacancies in detention, dispatch, patrol, 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.
"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." -C.S. Lewis
As always, God Bless and be safe,
Sheriff Elmer Tanner