Monthly Report for July 2017

Dear Citizens,

I hope this finds everyone enjoying a safe and happy 4th of July weekend with family and friends. Thank you to those who have served and continue to serve, we don’t want to ever take our freedom for granted for we are a blessed nation. Please remember to practice safety when using fireworks. Especially if children and pets will be close by. July 4th is the second most deadly holiday period of the year just behind New Year’s due to impaired driving. Everyone can have fun this special holiday weekend by celebrating in a responsible way.

I would like to personally thank Faith Holt for not only her support of all law enforcement, but for organizing a show of support for county law enforcement at last weeks Navarro County Commissioners Court meeting. I also would like to say thank you to our citizens, Chief Robert Johnson and the members of the Corsicana Police Department that were in attendance along with the citizens who could not be in attendance for your unwavering support as well.
As always, United We Stand.

The Navarro County Justice Center is nearing maximum capacity. The Justice center was originally built in 1988 with an annex added in 2006 which created a maximum capacity of 290 inmates. Our average inmate population for this month is 263 inmates which compared to January 2017 when our average population was 211 inmates. The cost of the additional inmates can easily be seen in our medical budget, food budget,inmate supplies, as we have been impacted tens of thousands of dollars by this increased inmate population. If we continue to see this increase to the point of reaching maximum capacity we will have to seek relief by contracting the housing of our inmates out of county. The housing of inmates outside our county, as you know, would be a very significant cost to taxpayers and would require the transport of those prisoners to and from other counties, medical cost while in another county along with transports to court dates in our county and all medical appointments. Personnel to conduct these additional transports would become an issue as well.

I am very proud to report that our roof restoration at the Navarro County Justice Center is now complete. This completes a project that we have steadily worked on for over five years now. The original facility was built in 1988 and the annex was added in 1996. Both roofs have definitely exceeded their 20 year expectancy.

This month we celebrated the retirement of Communications Captain Brett Latta. Captain Latta ended his 40 year law enforcement career at the NCSO which began in 1977 when he became a reserve deputy before later transferring to full time in January 1, 2000. Captain Latta has been an enormous asset to the NCSO for many years and we wish him all the very best in his retirement and also with his new assignment at the Navarro County OEM.

Navarro County Sheriff's Office Corporal Keith Lewis pulled a disoriented, elderly man from a car after he ran off the road into floodwaters at the double bridges near Chambers Creek on E. Hwy 31. Lewis arrived at the scene within just a few minutes of being dispatched and entered waist-deep water to retrieve the driver who was still behind the wheel. It is believed the driver may have experienced a medical episode. He was later transported by ambulance for medical evaluation.

The NCOEM, NCSO and CPD conducted drone flight operations to aide in the search for a missing elderly male in Corsicana. The body of the missing person was located in a remote area near his residence. CPD conducted the investigation.

I wanted to update our citizens on our inmate trustee work program. In June our outside trustees worked hard in putting out several tons of hot mix and oil sand on various county roads and picked up several loads of trash from our roadways along with over 500 discarded tires. They also perform a daily routine of removing trash from our facility, routinely keep the grass mowed at the Justice Center as well as taking on numerous other working assignments throughout the community and at our county farms. We sold approximately $473 worth of scrap metal in June from their involvement in Navarro County Cleanup Day. I would also like to recognize and thank Deputies Charles Paul and Jim Carroll who supervise the outside work details.

Congratulations to Corporal Keith Lewis on being named Cotton Patch's First Responder of the Week.

The Sheriff's Office had 3,351 calls for service in June and our Dispatch received 1,909 calls for assistance to 9-1-1. There were approximately 338 persons arrested and booked into the Navarro County Justice Center and the average daily jail population was 263 inmates. The Narcotics Unit arrested eight suspects, filed two criminal cases and served 10 outstanding arrest warrants. Four inmates were transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and 14 other inmates were transferred to State Jail and SAFP units to serve their sentences.

This month we estrayed one bull, two horses, and one mule and transported them to the county farm at Angus. We also estrayed three sheep and transported them to our county farm at Petty’s Chapel. We recovered $135 in estray fees this month and sold $2,636.56 of estray livestock at Elkhart Horse Sale, Hubbard Livestock and Corsicana Livestock Auctions. We baled 126 rolls of hay from our county farm at Petty’s Chapel.

We currently have vacancies in courthouse security and detention. As in the past, applications will continue to be taken for any vacancy until the position is filled.

Seek respect not attention. It lasts longer. -Ziad Abdelnour

As always, God bless and be safe

Sheriff Elmer Tanner