Dear Citizens,
It is hard to believe we only have two months left in 2019. October was a full and busy month for the NCSO. We were proud to participate in this year's annual National Night Out held in front of Corsicana City Hall. We always enjoy getting to meet and visit with people in our community. Thank you to all who came out and visited or participated in making this year's event another great success.
Each Friday in October we recognized Breast Cancer Awareness month by wearing Pink at the NCSO. We honor those in the fight, the survivors and those who were taken by this dreaded disease. This cause is near and dear to my heart as my wife Mandy was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2004. I am proud to say she is a 14-year survivor.
We celebrated National First Responders Day this month. "It is important to remember all the good our nation's first responders do every day and support them in every way possible. They truly are the line between a civilized society and chaos," said Andrew Collier of Hendrick Motorsports' and brother of Sean Collier - the MIT officer who was gunned down by the Boston Marathon bombers on April 18, 2013 and tragically lost his life in the line of duty. National First Responders Day on October 28 recognizes the heroic men and women who make it their business to take immediate action when disaster strikes. What does a first responder do? Just think about 9/11 for a moment. Firefighters, police, paramedics, and more, rushing into Lower Manhattan. Whether you've had your own emergency or not, it's not hard to understand and appreciate the dangerous and difficult work they do. Countless selfless men and women willing to lay down their lives every day to keep us safe. Displaying daily hard work, dedication, sacrifice and honor.
In 2017, Congress designated October 28th as National First Responders Day. The resolution was passed to honor the firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and all those who are first on the scene in stressful situations. The family of Sean Collier, a police officer ambushed and murdered during events related to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, supported the resolution. Few normally give much thought to those who dedicate their lives to being on the front lines in the scene of an emergency. Many go about their daily activities secure in the knowledge that, if needed, they will be there ready to help, even at the risk of their own lives.
During a crisis, all these brave people become the most important people in the world to those in desperate need. What if they weren't available, no longer cared to sacrifice and decided they no longer wanted to serve and protect? I am proud to say that in Navarro County our first responders stand at the ready when a crisis may arise. I want to thank all those who answer the call as well as saying thank you to our citizens who support our first responders daily.
We enjoyed not only a beautiful day this year at the Kerens Cotton Festival but a great turnout as well. I appreciate all my deputies for their help with not only the NCSO booth but being there for additional security if needed for the festival and celebration. My wife and I enjoyed visiting with old and new friends, stopping by the many booths and enjoying some of the great food. I do hope if you were in attendance, you were able to stop by the Navarro County Sheriff's Office tent, visit with our Deputies and pick up some of our information and goodies for the kids.
We are continually training to provide better prepared and qualified officers at the NCSO. A summary of this month's training include: Members of the NCSO crisis negotiation team attending the Texas Association of Hostage Negotiators training conference in Arlington. Our crisis negotiators must attend a minimum of 40 hours of continuing education annually to maintain their certification. This year with over 350 in attendance, the TAHN conference provided an opportunity to meet and network with other officers and teams within our region and across the state of Texas. As part of this year's training, we were also able to attend a block of training conducted by Captain Matthias Proehl of Mannheim Germany Police Department. "Negotiation and Terrorism - A European Perspective" was certainly an eye opening experience. We appreciate the opportunity to attend this invaluable training so that we may be better prepared to handle crisis situations.
We hosted recertification training for our officers and other law enforcement agencies on the RACC - Remotely Activated Custody Control system. Our JPX instructors were also recertified on the Centurion Law Enforcement (CLE) Deployment System.
Captain Melanie Cagle and I were honored with an invite to speak to the students of the Frost ISD for the beginning of Red Ribbon Week. These are the future leaders of tomorrow and we appreciated this opportunity to have a chance to visit and interact with some of the youth in our community.
After a long dry spell, the commissioners' court lifted The Burn Ban for Navarro County.
October 1st the inmate population in the Navarro County Justice Center went below 200 for the first time since January 17, 2017. This is good news for our taxpaying citizens.
On Thursday, October 3rd, the NCSO Tactical Unit and Crisis Negotiations Team were activated to respond to an armed barricaded person call on NW 0190C Rice. The incident began as a domestic disturbance with weapons. The suspect was taken into custody by the NCSO tactical team and charged with aggravated assault family violence. We thank everyone who offered assistance and prayers as we worked to resolve this dangerous situation.
On Sunday, October 13th at approximately 9 pm, Navarro County Sheriff's Office Deputies were dispatched to an Aggravated Robbery that had occurred at the Mike Dickens Park in Rice.
The victim advised that he was robbed by two unknown assailants who took his cell phone, credit card, 13 dollars' cash and struck him in the head with a pistol causing an injury requiring medical treatment. The victim advised that when the suspects stood him up and attempted to get him into his vehicle he was able to flee the area on foot and run to a neighboring residence and request assistance. The victim gave a partial description of one suspect being a tall, slender built, male suspect wearing a grey hoodie and no other physical description of the second suspect. After diligently exploring any and all leads in the case the detectives were able to identify two persons of interest.
On Thursday, October 17th about 2 pm, Detective Sergeants Randy Clay and Robbie Jock observed both suspects at a location in the 100 Block of SW McKinney in Rice. The detectives arrested both suspects at the scene on unrelated arrest warrants out of the Corsicana Police Department and transported them to the Navarro County Justice Center. The detectives then obtained and served felony arrest warrants on both suspects for Aggravated Robbery. This case is cleared by arrest. I commend our officers on a great job in solving this violent crime quickly without any initial leads or evidence in the case.
I am very proud of our agencies response to the reported kidnapping from the Mildred school. This was an example of a dedicated team effort beginning with our NCSO dispatchers who took the call to our patrol and CID divisions who worked swiftly to locate the child and arrest the suspect. Good job to everyone involved.
This month we received a very special donation of approximately 75 "Comfort Quilts" that were donated by Quilting Gone Amuck and Texas Quilting Group. These ladies who lovingly made these quilts come from all over Texas as well as many other states. The closest being from Hubbard and some as far away as Minnesota. A huge thank you to Becky Thill and to all the ladies who worked on this project and ultimately decided to donate them to the NCSO.
These quilts will be used to comfort the victims we encounter and have suffered a traumatic experience. Again, thank you ladies for your caring, compassion and this very generous donation that will help bring comfort to others.
We also received a beautiful picture inscribed "Love and Compassion Matters" that was hand painted and delivered anonymously to the NCSO. We sincerely appreciate the thought, kindness and meaning behind such a special gift.
The Sheriff's Office had approximately 3,142 calls for service in October and our Dispatch received 1,839 calls for assistance to 9-1-1. There were approximately 211 persons arrested and booked into the Navarro County Justice Center and the average daily jail population was 210 inmates. The Narcotics Unit arrested twelve suspects, filed nine criminal cases and served nine outstanding arrest warrants. Ten inmates were transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and sixteen other inmates were transferred to State Jail and SAFP Units to serve their sentences. This month we estrayed one cow and one horse and hauled them to our county farms at Angus and Petty's Chapel.
Please join us in welcoming our newest employees to the NCSO Detention Division.
Joey Palos began his law enforcement career this month with the NCSO after recently completing five years of military service in the U.S. Navy and Taitum Palos is returning to the NCSO as a Detention Officer after a brief hiatus. Brittany Miller also transferred from Dispatch to Detention. Congratulations to you all and the best of luck in your new and returning position.
We had one resignation this month and we are currently accepting applications for vacancies in communications and the detention division. As in the past, applications will continue to be taken for any vacancy until the position is filled.
"Leadership is not about being the best. Leadership is about making everyone else better".
-Zig Ziglar
As always, God bless and be safe
Sheriff Elmer Tanner