Monthly Report for January 2017

Dear Citizens,

I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season with family and friends. We here at the NCSO would like to wish you all the best as we begin 2017.

We sincerely appreciate all the kind gestures in the way of Christmas cards, food, cakes, cookies and flowers that were brought to our office by citizens and local businesses during the Christmas holiday season.

The Navarro County Sheriff's Office held its annual holiday meal this month at the Justice Center. Our employees, county commissioners, judges, DPS officers, State Representative Byron Cook, NCSO Chaplain Danny Reeves, CPD Chief Robert Johnson, District Attorney Lowell Thompson, Emergency Management Coordinator Eric Meyers and various other county employees attended. A special thank you to David A. and David B. Nyquist for donating the delicious BBQ, HEB and Collin Street Bakery for the deserts and to the many NCSO employees who helped prepare the rest of the meal. I personally want to thank Darron Richardson, Becky Hatchel, Rachael Howell and Tracy Cardwell for all their hard work in making the gathering an event that was enjoyed by all.

I am proud to announce that the NCSO participated again this year in the Annual Spirit of Christmas Food Box Giveaway. This year’s event was hosted by the Navarro County Food Pantry, Kiwanis Club, Brookshires, Super One Food Stores as well as local donators. Hundreds of boxes of food were given out to Navarro County families during the event. Thank you to the Navarro College Softball team and members of the CISD boys and girls basketball teams who also helped to make the giveaway a great success.

The Navarro County Sheriff’s Office received approximately 250 gift packages that were prepared and delivered by our local Salvation Army. Because of the kindness and generosity of an anonymous donor, with my approval, Detention Officers of the NCSO delivered the gift packages to every inmate within the facility, where they could experience the true meaning of Christmas.

During the holidays we hear about “Secret Santas” and “Christmas Angels” as the spirit of giving and sharing helps spread the cheer of Christmas. That same spirit of giving and sharing has found its way to the Navarro County Sheriff's Office, where a special benefactor partnered with the NCSO to make Christmas a little brighter for some who may be less fortunate. What this generous individual did was to provide the NCSO with the resources to put the gift of Christmas into the hands of those who may need it most. Deputies patrolling the county know what the needs are in the community, and with the help of this special friend of law enforcement, they provided a $100 bill to several in the county to help make Christmas a little better. Better for these families who may not have a Christmas without the extra help. As the sheriff, I was very grateful and appreciated this awesome opportunity for those in my department to be able help share in the Christmas spirit with this special gift.

I am proud to announce that we have added another feature to our departmental website. You can now log onto our website at ncsotx.org, click on inmate roster and view a complete list of inmates currently in the facility along with their charges and bond information. This feature will expedite public requests for information and should limit the number of phone calls to the facility requesting that information. This is another part of the continuing evolution at the NCSO to better serve our citizens.

I am also proud to announce that the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office has changed our hiring procedure. We are now able to hire potential candidates for our patrol division and send them to an accredited police academy for State licensing. We have lost potentially great patrol candidates in the past due to always having to require that the candidate have peace officer’s license when they were hired. Again, this is another step in the continuing evolution of the department. With this new change to our hiring procedure, we can broaden our recruitment of potential new personnel at the NCSO with this added incentive. I am proud that our Commissioner’s court agreed with the training reimbursement agreement for a Deputy recruit which includes a three-year commitment clause. The commitment clause would keep the new recruit from leaving and going elsewhere to work or potentially face repaying costs of training and hiring expenses if they violate the contract.

We welcome the citizens of Navarro County to stop by the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office to pick up one of our new "NCSO Back the Blue" stars. We have had numerous requests for these in the past few months and I am pleased to announce they are finally in. We simply ask that you consider a small donation so that we will be able to maintain these decals in stock for those who would also like to show their support in the future. Thank you again for your support of the NCSO and all law enforcement agencies.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to The 100 Club of Navarro County for their generous donation of $9,000 to our tactical unit. This donation will be utilized to purchase new equipment. I would like to also convey my appreciation to Tracy Jock, Pat Fain, Brad Haynie, David B. Nyquist and Phil Posey for their dedication and service to The 100 Club.

We also appreciate Billy Jones and the advisory board members of the Navarro County Electric Cooperative Incorporation's "Operation Roundup Program" as we have received a second grant disbursement for $3,000 to be utilized for equipment and training purposes.

On behalf of the NCSO, we would like to congratulate Ian Concepcion on being the initial recipient of the Brent Thompson Memorial Scholarship. I, along with Chief Deputy Morris Steward and Captain Jeramy Phillips, had the pleasure of attending the scholarship ceremony and meeting with Mr. Concepcion. We want to wish him all the best as he starts his journey in pursuing a career in law enforcement which will begin with attending the Navarro College Police Academy.

I want to thank the men and women of the N.C.S.O. Color Guard for posting the colors at the recent Navarro College Police Academy Graduation held at the Cook center.

I attended the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas 2016 Newly Elected Sheriff’s Seminar that was held in San Marcos, December 5-9, 2016. The Newly Elected Sheriff’s Seminar is held every four years after election time for new Sheriff’s and Chief Deputies education, teaching and preparing them for office. This year, participants received training on a variety of topics, including: Duties and Responsibilities of the Sheriff, Model Policies, Inmate Transportation, Open Records, Media Relations, Texas Department of Public Safety Resources, TSCJ Intake and Classification, Estray Law, Parole Warrants, Civil Process, Texas Commission on Jail Standards Regulations, Cold Case Review Team, Evidence and Property Room Liabilities, New Technology, Labor Laws, Ethics, and many more. This seminar also allows them a comprehensive overview of the responsibilities of their new office and a chance to meet their peers to whom they can look to for support during the coming term.

Congratulations to Deputy Eric Wilson on completion and graduation from Basic SWAT School 10-16 in Cedar Hill. Deputy Wilson has now met all the selection criteria and has now joined the NCSO tactical team. Congratulations to Patty Medina who transferred from administrative assistant to civil deputy and to Melissa Grimes on becoming our newest administrative assistant at the N.C.S.O. Melissa began working for Navarro County in 2011 and recently transferred to the N.C.S.O. to take on her new role.

Congratulations also to Chief Deputy Morris Steward, Captain Jeramy Phillips, Sgt. Joey Jock and Deputy Kipp Thomas on being named Corsicana Daily Sun-Cotton Patch first responders of the week in December.

The Sheriff's Office had 3,015 calls for service in December and our dispatch received 1,970 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 209 inmates. The Narcotics Unit arrested 9 suspects, filed 10 criminal cases and served 6 outstanding arrest warrants. Thirteen inmates were transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and 18 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.

The Navarro County Sheriff’s Office still has hay for sale. The hay is a mix of coastal, and Johnson grass that was recently baled at our Petty's Chapel farm. The hay is 4 x 6 net wrapped, round bale hay. The price is $40 per roll with a ten roll minimum purchase. Loading is available. Contact Captain Jeramy Phillips at 903-654-3002 to purchase yours today.

We had two resignations in December and we currently have two vacancies in detention. As in the past, applications will continue to be taken for any vacancy until the position is filled.
We want to wish Pct. 4 Constable Kipp Thomas all the best in his new career as he resigned on December 31 after 26 plus years of service at the NCSO.

“We all get the exact same 365 days. The only difference is what we do with them.”
– Hillary DePiano

As always, God bless and be safe.

Sheriff Elmer Tanner