How the Office of Sheriff serves and protects Sheboygan County
Last week this column began a series of columns to remind readers of the scope, responsibilities, and duties of running Sheboygan County.
We began with Ellen Schleicher’s register of deeds office before moving on to highlight Sheboygan County Sheriff Michael Helmke’s responsibility with his 180 person staff. Here we discussed such things as the jail, bailiffs to the courts, responsibility for those in his custody, water rescue, and transportation and storage of explosives.
Today, we continue where we left off on the duties and responsibilities of sheriff.
The office of sheriff is responsible for keeping and preserving the peace; sometimes on an active hot summer weekend evening it can and is a challenge.
Sheriff personnel patrol the county roads and will provide traffic control when needed, give out tickets for speeding or inattentive driving, and are often the first at an accident to provide the first emergency medical service. They are on call 24/7 both for emergency and non-emergency services.
Sheriff officers often begin an investigation; later it shifts to the detective division where the work is continued.
This writer did a two-part story of the responsibilities of the detective office a couple of years ago. The skills required and the support provided to local, state and federal services was impressive. And, from time to time, they review “cold cases” to see if new technology may provide new leads.
On-going drug and crime prevention efforts take place throughout the year. Sheriff personnel respond to rural school issues to offer assistance. The Sheboygan County Jail not only holds people in jail on local issues, it helps the state of Wisconsin by keeping approximately 20 prisoners for them (providing a financial benefit to county taxpayers). By law a prisoner law library must be provided so prisoners can ensure that their legal rights are being respected.
It is the sheriff’s responsibility to serve and execute all processes, writs, subpoenas and orders from the courts issued or made by lawful authority. The office must transport both adult and juvenile prisoners. In some counties, you will find sheriff staff as school liaison officers.
Sheboygan County, in cooperation with other law enforcement offices, has a tactical team that can be called out in an emergency. They are called out when a citizen or citizens are in danger, a hostage situation arises, or other critical issues come up.
Sheriff personnel can conduct water patrols, provide special dog investigation services, and have dive rescue services to aid in critical situations involving fishermen, swimmers, or water accidents.
They are involved in 911 calls and dispatch appropriate services. They also maintain and verify stolen property and missing persons records – and (need I say it?) much more.
One of the most intensive staff obligations and costs for the sheriff’s office is running the Sheboygan County jail. Some people are required to be held for the courts. Others assigned to the county jail have working rights, which means that each time they return from work an extended search is needed to assure nothing disallowed is being brought into the jail. Although those in the county jail are expected to pay a certain amount per day for food and other costs, medical needs and other support must also be provided.
Next week the “Your County” column will cover the Sheboygan County Veterans Service Office and highway and airport responsibility.
