The year 2014 was a busy and productive one for the Moniteau County Sheriff's Department.
Sheriff Jeptha "J" Gump, looking back at his tenth year in office, reported a total of 4,340 calls with 512 arrests made by the department in 2014.
For the department's overall operations, the new county jail has caused a number of changes. The greater jail capacity, including an area for female prisoners, has meant fewer runs to other counties for prisoner transport for court appearances.
Another game changer has been computer improvements and upgrades. The enhanced computer system has helped keep track of the department information. What has helped even more is that the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center now has a computer system and software programs which are compatible with the Sheriff's Department systems.
"It has been a great help in tabulating information of the department and its operations," Gump said.
Another positive this year was the Sheriff's Office applying for and being awarded the Deputy Sheriffs Supplemental Salary Fund (DSSSF) Grant which is distributed by the Missouri Department of Public Safety. The funds are generated by a fee placed on civil process, which are served by sheriff's offices across the state. The grant allows the Sheriffs' Office to supplement the annual salaries of commissioned jailers and deputies without an additional drain on the county budget. The grant covers the additional salary and all benefits associated with the increase. The grant period begins on July 1 of the year and runs through June 30. It is applied for annually.
The grant will supplement the salary of a deputy up to $28,000 annually. It's an extra boost that is often needed in the profession, especially in more rural counties, where there is a high attrition rate among law enforcement. Gump is hopeful the money available from this grant will increase satisfaction and morale among the enforcement employees and help retain the most qualified.
In addition to Sheriff Gump, the department has 13 full-time people - four commissioned road deputies, three commissioned jail deputies, and six non-commissioned staff members / jailers to include a Jail Administrator and a Secretary. There are also about 25 part-time deputies and jailers which can be called on when needed.
The range of the type of calls the Sheriff's Department responds to is large and varied. There were 41 calls to check out 911 hangup calls, 25 peace disturbance calls, 212 to report "suspicious activity", four to report a prowler, 57 for property damage, 26 for reported assaults, 153 reports of domestic assault, 68 for harassment, 43 for threats, 10 for reports of incidents of fraud, 18 for fights, 53 medical calls, 148 for theft, 23 for burglary, six for shots fired, eight for reports of sex offenses and 27 calls involving reports of drug offenses.
There were 162 calls for animal complaints and seven for Conservation related incidents.
Abandoned vehicles resulted in 63 calls, with 39 for motor vehicle collisions with injuries, 67 for non-injury motor vehicle collisions, 21 for motor vehicle collisions with unknown injuries, 96 reports of careless and imprudent driving, 88 calls for stranded motorists and 14 pursuits.
The calls for alarms going off amounted to 97, with five for open door or window, seven more for building checks, 93 to check on the well-being of someone in the county and 36 pedestrian checks.
Fire related calls amounted to three for controlled burns, one for fire investigation, 22 for fire, two for fireworks, four for natural cover fire, and one for a structure fire.
There were 193 prisoner transport calls, 20 standby calls, 485 paper service calls and nine calls for extra patrol. In 149 instances, the department sent officers to assist other agencies.
In essence, it was a very busy year for the Moniteau County Sheriff's Department, with some sort of action required on average of 12 times a day, every day of the last year.
Moniteau County law enforcement officers continually work to support the county residents, helping to protect their persons, property and businesses.