the snso star

12
Undersheriff Herman Jones graduated from the FBI National Academy Session 248 on March 16th. Marcia and I had the honor to join Undersheriff Jones’ family, Carlene, Philip, Daniel and Paige at the graduation. While at the 10 week Academy Undersheriff Jones was elected leader of his section; this in itself is quite an honor as it makes a strong statement of what his peers thought of him and his character qualities. Undersheriff Jones joins Major Blume Captains Hoobler, Royer, Kolbek and myself as FBINA Graduates. Congratulations! While Marcia and I were in Quantico, VA attending the graduation our daughter Julie gave birth to our 16th grandchild, Avery Marie in Highlands Ranch, Co. (Grandma & I will be heading west ASAP!) March 22-24th Undersheriff Jones, Lieutenant Vest, Lieutenant Ostenson and Stephanie Brunkow attended the CALEA conference in Mobile, Alabama to find out the result of our reaccreditation efforts. We successfully accomplished reaccreditation as well as received the award “Accreditation with Excellence.” The intent of this award is to provide agencies an opportunity to be further recognized for the effective use of accreditation as a model for enhanced public safety service delivery. The criteria for the Accreditation with Excellence Award are; Demonstrated excellence in the development and implementation of contemporary policy and procedure. Demonstrated excellence in the ability to use the CALEA Accreditation process as a tool for continuous organizational improvement. Demonstrated excellence in the collection, review and analysis of organizational data for the purpose of public safety service improvement. Demonstrated advocacy for CALEA Accreditation as a strategy for enhancing the professional standing of public safety. the SNSO STAR WWW.SHAWNEESHERIFF.ORG From the desk of Sheriff Dick Barta Undersheriff 2 Major 3 Chaplain 4 Communications 6 Operations 8 Investigation 10 Support Services 11 Inside this issue April 2012 Demonstrated excellence in addressing the intent of CALEA standards, beyond compliance. Demonstrated organizational culture supportive of CALEA Accreditation. Accreditation assessment demonstrating standards compliance and accreditation process success. The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office met and exceeded all categories for consideration of this award. Every employee of this agency contributed to this achievement. Thank you for your dedication to excellence! Lieutenant Vest provided information for this article. On April 2nd I attended the Kansas Chapter of the Association of Public- Safety Communications Officials (APCO) conference in Hutchinson. Riane Harsha was awarded the 2011 Kansas APCO Telecommunicator of the Year (TCOY) 1 st Runner-up . Good Job Riane we are proud of you!! As many of you know I have decided not to seek another term as Sheriff. Undersheriff Jones filed to run for the Office of Sheriff on March 30th. I give him my full support in his endeavor to become the next Sheriff of Shawnee County.

Upload: others

Post on 06-Feb-2022

0 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: the SNSO STAR

Undersheriff Herman

Jones graduated from the

FBI National Academy

Session 248 on March

16th. Marcia and I had

the honor to join

Undersheriff Jones’

family, Carlene, Philip,

Daniel and Paige at the

graduation.

While at the 10 week

Academy Undersheriff

Jones was elected leader

of his section; this in itself

is quite an honor as it

makes a strong statement

of what his peers thought

of him and his character

qualities. Undersheriff

Jones joins Major Blume

Captains Hoobler, Royer,

Kolbek and myself as

FBINA Graduates.

Congratulations!

While Marcia and I were

in Quantico, VA attending

the graduation our

daughter Julie gave birth

to our 16th grandchild,

Avery Marie in Highlands

Ranch, Co. (Grandma & I

will be heading west

ASAP!)

March 22-24th

Undersheriff Jones,

Lieutenant Vest,

Lieutenant Ostenson and

Stephanie Brunkow

attended the CALEA

conference in Mobile,

Alabama to find out the

result of our

reaccreditation efforts.

We successfully

accomplished

reaccreditation as well as

received the award

“Accreditation with

Excellence.” The intent of

this award is to provide

agencies an opportunity

to be further recognized

for the effective use of

accreditation as a model

for enhanced public

safety service delivery.

The criteria for the

Accreditation with

Excellence Award are;

Demonstrated excellence in the

development and

implementation of

contemporary policy

and procedure.

Demonstrated excellence in the

ability to use the

CALEA Accreditation

process as a tool for

continuous

organizational

improvement.

Demonstrated excellence in the

collection, review and

analysis of

organizational data for

the purpose of public

safety service

improvement.

Demonstrated advocacy for CALEA

Accreditation as a

strategy for

enhancing the

professional standing

of public safety.

the SNSO STAR

WWW.SHAWNEESHERIFF .ORG

From the desk of Sheriff Dick Barta

Undersheriff 2

Major 3

Chaplain 4

Communications 6

Operations 8

Investigation 10

Support Services 11

Inside this issue

April 2012

Demonstrated excellence in

addressing the intent

of CALEA standards,

beyond compliance.

Demonstrated organizational culture

supportive of CALEA

Accreditation.

Accreditation assessment

demonstrating

standards compliance

and accreditation

process success.

The Shawnee County

Sheriff’s Office met and

exceeded all categories

for consideration of this

award. Every employee

of this agency contributed

to this achievement.

Thank you for your

dedication to excellence!

Lieutenant Vest provided

information for this article.

On April 2nd I attended

the Kansas Chapter of the

Association of Public-

Safety Communications

Officials (APCO)

conference in Hutchinson.

Riane Harsha was

awarded the 2011 Kansas

APCO Telecommunicator

of the Year (TCOY) 1st

Runner-up . Good Job

Riane we are proud of

you!!

As many of you know I

have decided not to seek

another term as Sheriff.

Undersheriff Jones filed to

run for the Office of

Sheriff on March 30th. I

give him my full support

in his endeavor to

become the next Sheriff

of Shawnee County.

Page 2: the SNSO STAR

Message from Undersheriff Herman Jones PAGE 2

I truly understand what Dorothy felt

when she returned to Kansas. It’s great to

be home once again. Homecomings are

great particularly when people remember

who you are. I wondered if people were

serious when I was greeted with, “let me

introduce myself or I understand you’re a

new in the area.” Yes, I was absent for a

period of eleven weeks; attending the FBI National Academy in Virginia

and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in

Alabama. While both events took me away from my home for an extended time I am very

grateful to have had the opportunity to represent the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office. I extend

my gratitude to Major Blume for managing the extra workload during my time away. Likewise,

I’m indebted to Sheriff Barta for allowing me this great experience.

During my brief leave, I had the distinct honor of meeting various law enforcement

representatives from across the world. That’s right from around the world. I met individuals

from China, Brazil, Chile, Niger, France, Egypt, Kazakhstan, and Mexico to name a few. What I

discovered from these law enforcement officials is they deal with some of the same issues;

reducing crime, personnel matters, fiscal stability and public relations. I guess this “big blue

marble” that we inhabit isn’t as big as it seems. Nonetheless, we all share a common goal of

serving our community with great distinction and honor.

Now that I’ve returned I am working to get back in rhythm with SNSO operations. I noted a few

things have changed during my time away. Our Offender Registration Unit has been relocated to

the front of the building’s main entrance for better access. As well, our main reception area has

been enhanced for security and employee ergonomics. Even with these augmentations, some

matters have remained the same such as; our dedicated employees remain in place. Some new

smiling faces have appeared in the work place too. I am happy to work my way through the

agency and “reacquaint” myself with the staff. Additional, the SNSO remains to be a focal point

for providing professional public service. It great to be back home.

Thank you for being the Shining Stars that you are. You’re a shining star no matter who you are

in this agency. Be well, be safe.

Page 3: the SNSO STAR

Major Phil Blume PAGE 3

Congratulations

Deputy Emily Adams & Brandon

On the birth of their twins, Colton Lee and Eliana

Alexis, February 4, 2012

What About the Officers?

From this point and going back into the calendar year 2011, it seems there has been too many

tragedies in our own community, from traffic fatalities, drowning, heinous murder of a child, to

address a few. The one constant in all of these is that at some point, law enforcement is present.

At the time of an event, LEO’s are required to involve themselves in the event to provide some

structure to the scene, some type of an investigation depending on the circumstance of the

event. So much of this is dealing with the victim’s family and the tremendous weight of

responsibility that goes with this career. Working a traffic fatality, suicide, making a death

notification are things, that if we spend any amount of time in this career, are likely to be called

upon to do. And I can guarantee with 100 percent certainty that when this does happen in your

career that you WILL never forgot the experience.

There are many things we encounter, but working one of these scenes will stay with you

forever. We are expected to provide some level of comfort to these families, but how do we

cope with the aftermath? We are all different in how we deal with tragedy and how we address

others. I know how I process these events and unfairly to others, I sometimes may not show the

empathy to officers, because I deal with things differently than many. Again this community has

dealt with so many devastating events in the past weeks, months and year, so how do our officers

handle these matters? When I began my career, there was still the mindset that you just handled

it, things were changing, but you were expected to work the call and then go about your

business.

We are getting better in this profession at beginning to understand that events shake us to our

core and sometimes we need some support. We do have a long way to go but we are headed in

the right direction. To the men and women of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office who have

worked these calls from the point it comes to our communications center, to dispatching an

officer to the scene, to our investigating bodies, and to our recording of reports, video and

photographs, you have all made a choice and commitment to a profession that so few can truly do

and for that I appreciate all of you and admire the work that unfortunately will face us in the

future.

Remember, you are not alone. Our agency is blessed to have Chaplain Hansen on call to our

agency 24/7, not just for our citizens but for us as well. For anyone going through struggles, you

are not alone Chaplain Hansen is a phone call away, or you can stop by his house day or night.

The Sheriff, Undersheriff, Captains and I are available to you as well, your resources are endless

don’t be afraid to use them.

Page 4: the SNSO STAR

PAGE 4

785-368-2200

The event of Easter can be summed up in the words of the young man sitting in the

sepulcher

(Mark 16:6):

“Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold

the place where they laid him.”

Karl Barth: Dogmatics in Outline

The Easter message tells us that our enemies, sin, the curse and death, are beaten.

Ultimately they can no longer start mischief. They still behave as though the game

were not decided, the battle not fought, we must still reckon with them, but

fundamentally we must cease to fear them any more.

Have a very Blessed Easter

your Chaplain

Chaplain’s Corner Chaplain John Hansen

Sympathy Julie Heinrich-Father in-law

Sara Roberts-Grandmother

Sondra Hamilton-Daughter in-law

“Easter”

Page 5: the SNSO STAR

Sheriff Barta,

I would like to personally thank you and the members of your agency

for responding to our request for assistance. On February 29, 2012 at

9:08 p.m., the City of Harveyville in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, was

struck by an F-2 tornado causing extensive damage, injuries, and a

fatality. A request was sent out for mutual aide and we received an

overwhelming response.

A total of twenty-seven police agencies responded during the week

long process of providing security and assistance to the citizens of

Harveyville and Wabaunsee County. The law enforcement response

was overwhelming and directly contributed to the community’s ability

to begin their healing process and restoration of the city. I received

nothing but positive feedback on the role of law enforcement and their

professionalism and unity.

Thank you again for your assistance in our time of need.

Best Regards,

Douglas W. Howser, Sheriff

Wabaunsee County

Thank you

Sheriff,

I want to thank you so much for the kind words and

understanding you and this agency expressed to

me during the time my Dad was ill and his passing.

The plants sent to me by the Sheriff’s Office and

SCECC are beautiful.

-Debbi Childers & Family

Letter to Captain Royer-March 13, 2012

Captain,

As always Chaplain Hansen has gone above and

beyond to take care of us. Tonight he came in at

2300 hours to offer his time checking in on third

shift dispatchers.

He followed up with those dispatcher involved in

the incident where an 8 year old girl went missing

early Tuesday morning 3/13/12 from her home.

She was later located and died later at the hospital.

This call troubled many who were here last night.

I speak on behalf of all of third shift when I say that

we are extremely thankful for the Chaplain’s

consideration and compassion. His service to our

agency is always commendable.

-SS Michelle Barnes

The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) raises awareness and funds for Special Olympics Kansas. Most of the funds raised for Special Olympics Kansas is through the sale of merchandise. Anyone interested in purchasing a 2012 LETR t-shirt or hat may contact Deputy Previty at 233-8200 or Sgt. Stallbaumer at 368-2216. The Torch Run for our area will take place on May 30th at 7am on the south steps of the State Capitol Building. We are excited that the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office has 19 participants signed up to participate in this year’s run!

Deputy Boyles and DARE graduates from Logan Elementary March 12th.

Page 6: the SNSO STAR

Communications Captain Lance Royer PAGE 6

Congratulations to Bruce Fox and Dawn Frey on their promotions to the position of Communications Specialist II (CSII), effective March 17

th. Bruce and Dawn both have several years of experience in the emergency commu-

nications field. Bruce spent 13 years dispatching, training, and supervising in Communications at the Riley County Police Department, the Emporia Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and Arizona State University. Dawn was a CSI and a CSII with Shawnee County Emergency Communications for 12 years before leaving to go into private business in 2003, and she later dispatched for Washburn University Police for four years. We are excited that both are joining (in Dawn’s case, rejoining) our training team at the SCECC.

Lt. John Ostenson has settled into his new assignment with SCECC by taking the lead in the hiring process. Besides attending a Career Fair at Washburn University, he has been involved with SCECC applicant interviews and is currently conducting several background checks on dispatch applicants. Lt. Ostenson is also the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Internship Coordinator, which requires on-going communication with Washburn University in an effort to recruit quality applicants. The internship program has already proved to be beneficial for our agency, considering the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office has hired several of our past in-terns for full time Deputy positions.

On March 24th, Lt. Ostenson was in Mobile, AL, with SNSO CALEA representatives to receive the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office official CALEA reaccreditation status. Lt. Ostenson was excited to report that the SNSO was reaccredited with an Advanced Ac-creditation with the Award of Excellence. He said that our agency review with CALEA could not have gone better. Congratulations to all who worked so diligently to prepare for reaccreditation!

Radio Services has almost completed changing Shawnee County Solid Waste Department’s radio system from Emergency Man-agement’s VHF frequency to the county 800 MHz trunk system. Forty 800 MHz mobile radios were loaned to Solid Waste by the Sheriff’s Office and have been reprogrammed to operate on Solid Waste’s new talk groups. Solid Waste is trying to locate a few more mobiles. Once they are acquired and reprogrammed, along with replacing the control station, the project will be complete. The Solid Waste office is currently operating on portable radios. They will purchase new radios to be used in the new radio system.

Representatives from New World Systems provided a demonstration of the New World Microsoft Platform (MSP) on March 14th-15

th in the Joint Operations Center at the Law Enforcement Center. Since 2002, the Shawnee County Sheriff, Topeka Police De-

partment, Topeka Fire Department, and Shawnee County Department of Corrections have operated on an integrated New World computer system on an AS400 server. New World would like for Shawnee County to upgrade to MSP because its current research and development is now mainly focused on MSP, which is a Windows-based program. The new platform would also make avail-able to our users a better product and many new features. Officials from all participating agencies attended the demonstration. No decision to upgrade has yet been made.

A motorcycle ride to benefit the Greg and Melanie Hasselman Fund is scheduled for Saturday, April 21st, starting at 10:30 a.m. at

Topeka Harley-Davidson’s Eagle’s Nest Coffee and Café, 2047 S.W. Topeka Boulevard. Donations of $25.00 for a single rider and $35.00 for double riders are suggested. Participants will ride to the Lincoln Street Station in Wamego, KS. and then return to the Topeka Harley-Davidson Shop to enjoy the music of Swift Kick from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Benefit ride organizers are SCECC CSI Amber Gold and her mother, Carol Moore.

Fundraising for Greg Hasselman began in the spring of 2011. Greg is a candidate for a heart and liver transplant. His wife, Melanie, is a CSI at the SCECC. They have a 16-month-old daughter, Addyson Gail. The Greg and Melanie Hasselman Fund re-mains open for donations at the Topeka Police Credit Union. Thank you to all who have contributed assistance in any way.

CSI Josh Grippo resigned on February 20th. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Our condolences go to SS Sara Roberts in the death of her grandmother on March 18th.

Our condolences go to CSI Sondra Hamilton in the death of her daughter-in-law on March 20th.

Page 7: the SNSO STAR

Communication Specialist I Riane Harsha is the

recipient of two awards this spring to honor her

extraordinary efforts while on duty at the Shawnee

County Emergency Communications Center (SCECC).

On July 19, 2011, Riane drew on her experience and

expertise to pinpoint the location of four children, ages

6, 5, 3, and 2 years, who were unattended and who had

been locked for many hours in a basement room with

no air conditioning and with temperatures outside and

in the room exceeding 100 degrees.

The Kansas Chapter of the Association of Public-Safety

Communications Officials (APCO) awarded the 2011

Kansas APCO Telecommunicator of the Year (TCOY) 1st

Runner-up to Riane at its regional conference in

Hutchinson on Monday, April 2, 2012. Each year,

TCOY awards are presented to emergency

telecommunicators who have been nominated by their

agencies for their outstanding overall work and for

specific achievements.

On Friday, May 11, 2012, Riane will be honored with

the Bronze Award by the Kansas Association of Chiefs

of Police (KACP) at the Joint Kansas Law Enforcement

Conference in Hutchinson. The Bronze Award

recognizes outstanding achievement above and

beyond normal law enforcement responsibilities and

duties.

On July 19, 2011, Riane answered one of many 911 calls

from the children, who had been calling on a 911-only

phone and hanging up for more than six hours. A 911-

only phone is capable of calling only 911, and

dispatchers are unable to return the calls or trace the

owner address of the phones. From 12:37 p.m. until

7:06 p.m., when Riane answered one of their 911 calls,

the children had not stayed on the phone long enough

for their general location to be determined through

cell phone GPS. Riane successfully kept one of the

children on a 911 call long enough to narrow their

location to a general city block area. From their

general GPS location, Riane determined a more

specific, but not exact, computer-aided dispatch (CAD)

mapping location. Topeka Police Officers were

dispatched to that area and started knocking on doors,

but they were unsuccessful in locating the children and

were preparing to clear the area.

During her conversation with the children, a mere

mention of a common name, “Juan” sparked Riane to

research the numerous “Juans” in the CAD name file.

That search led her to a past call in April, 2011,

associated with a “Juan” at a specific address in the

immediate area of the police search. In the past call, a

social service agency had requested a welfare check

on some children who might possibly be locked in the

basement of that residence. An adult was at the

residence during the April call.

Because the police officers were about to clear the area

on that day in July, Ms. Harsha placed a phone call to

the primary responding officer to notify him of the

address and circumstances found in her past call

research. Ms. Harsha inquired about the possibility of

forced entry, given the address history. The primary

officer then requested that his supervisor respond.

The responding police supervisor called Riane, who

again passed on the information she had discovered.

The supervisor authorized forced entry, and at 8:14

p.m., the children were located locked in the

basement. Medical personnel were called to the scene

to examine the children, detectives responded to

investigate, and crime scene processed the scene.

The National Weather Service verified that the outdoor

temperature on July 19, 2011 was 102 degrees, with a

heat index of 110 degrees. Responding officers

advised that the room the children were locked in was

over 100 degrees in temperature almost an hour after

the children had been removed and after the door had

been open since police officers forced entry.

Capt. Lance Royer, Communication Division

Commander, and Shift Supervisor Michelle Barnes

commented that Riane’s patience in eliciting

information from the children, her persistence and

experience leading her to CAD research that required

sifting through many “Juan” name histories, and her

concern for the welfare of the children may well have

saved their lives, that day or in the future. In the July

2011 call, they had been locked in the basement room

for many hours in stifling heat and likely would have

been locked in many more hours before an adult

returned.

Riane has been employed at the SCECC for almost nine

years. Shawnee County Sheriff Richard Barta, Capt.

Royer, and members of Riane’s family attended the

APCO recognition banquet. Sheriff Barta, Undersheriff

Herman Jones, and Capt. Royer plan to attend the

KACP awards ceremony in May 2012.

Communications Captain Lance Royer

Page 8: the SNSO STAR

Communications Captain Lance Royer PAGE 8

The Fastest Fingers Awards for February went to:

Overall: Melanie Bergers answered 955 calls in two seconds or less

1st Shift: Erin Kelly answered 500 in two seconds or less

2nd

Shift: Dawn Frey answered 904 calls in two seconds or less

3rd

Shift: Angelica Huber answered 915 calls in two seconds or less

Communications answered 25,317 calls in February

50.4% of those were answered in two seconds or less

Great job everyone!

Operations Captain Phil Higdon

Cross your fingers, but I do believe we missed the big winter storms this year. Spring is here and with

that comes many activities the Operations Division has or will take part in the next few months. First shift

Patrol has already assisted in one marathon race and the next one is scheduled for May 19. On March 13,

2012 Lt. Reynolds, Lt. Lotridge, Lt. Simecka and myself participated in a table top exercise that was held

in conjunction with the State Tornado Drill and the Full Scale Exercise at the 109th ARW. All went well

and the four of us gained valuable insight in what it takes to perform the functions of EFC-13 and to

collaborate with other agencies if and when a disaster strikes. Lt. Reynolds is coordination the

DUI/Saturation Patrol’s, the next one is tentatively scheduled for May 12.

If all goes well Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office will be teaming up with the Topeka Police Department,

Kansas Highway Patrol and the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office to conduct a NO REFUSAL

saturation patrol night. And last but not least, last week Lt. Simecka, Cpl. Mahan, and I attended the first

2012 Spirit of Kansas meeting. Wow it’s that time of year again, really!? Our goal this year is to attempt to

reduce the number of deputies who are recruited for the event. I am confident we can reduce our

numbers which will allow more deputies the opportunity to enjoy the Fourth of July with their families and

experience what most people outside of law enforcement community take for granted each year.

A special thanks to the deputies who at the last moment adjusted their work schedules to assist with the

Harveryville tornado clean up. And to Deputy Trammel and Deputy Kyle Cochran in the apprehension of

two violent offenders. With the help of their K-9 partners who, without their assistance it would not have

been possible. Good Job!!

Page 9: the SNSO STAR

Community Services Sergeant Todd Stallbaumer

PAGE 9

The School Resource Officers increased traffic enforcement efforts around the Shawnee County area high

schools as part of the S.A.F.E. (Seatbelts Are For Everyone) program initiative. The S.A.F.E. program is designed

to bring awareness to the importance of wearing a seatbelt, therefore reducing the number of motor vehicle

related injuries and fatalities among high school students. The enforcement phase ran from March 6th – March

15th. Officers focused efforts on seatbelt compliance at Shawnee Heights, Hayden, Seaman, Silver Lake,

Rossville, and Washburn Rural. Compared to last year’s enforcement phase, students showed a significant

improvement in seatbelt compliance. With only 15 seatbelt citations issued, Officers were pleased that most of

the students were using their seatbelts.

The DARE Program will be graduating over 300 6th graders in a few weeks. Deputies Johnson and Boyles have

been teaching DARE in 11 6th grade classrooms this semester. Berryton, Pleasant Hill, Elmont, West Indianola,

Rochester, and Logan will be hosting graduations. For a list of times and dates, contact Deputy Johnson at 368-

2330.

Area high schools will be holding proms beginning the 2nd week of April. Silver Lake, Hayden, and Rossville

will hold their proms on April 14th, Seaman and Washburn Rural will be on April 21st, and Shawnee Heights will

be May 5th. For a completed list of times, dates and locations of prom and after-prom activities, contact me at

368-2216.

Get checked out.

As much as you might dread it, knowing where you stand is going to help your efforts tremendously. A checkup may reveal

some health issues that could be improved with diet and exercise, which will instantly boost your motivation and provide

additional, quantifiable goals. If you find any outstanding health issues, your doctor might also provide you with safe diet and/

or training recommendations. If you can't remember the last time you saw your doctor for a complete physical, now is

definitely the time. Most importantly, you'll get some great health benchmarks that you can revisit after your transformation.

Important markers to track include cholesterol/triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting glucose, and possibly even bone

density (BMD) for older women who haven't had a recent checkup. Return to the doc after 12 weeks to get some additional

blood work and revisit your numbers. You're looking for improvements wherever possible. Fitness is about more than

looking good; it's about feeling healthy and living well!

Clear out anything in your life that might hold you back from success.

If your cupboards are loaded with cookies, cakes, crackers and other junk, clean them out. Having these items around will

only tempt you to make poor food decisions. Say goodbye to Oreos and Twinkies. Although this might seem callous, take

stock of people who will make your transformation more difficult. You need to surround yourself with people who will be

supportive, not people who might want you to skip gym sessions or eat foods you shouldn't. During the beginning stages of

your transformation, you should spend more time around those who will buoy you and less time around those who might drag

you down. While you can't always control the people around you, you can clear the negativity from your mind. Your mentality

is absolutely crucial to your success, so get your head straight: Instead of focusing on what will be difficult about this

transformation (fitting in gym time, planning meals, having sore muscles, not being able to socialize in the same way), focus

on the positive. Consider ways to make your transformation work in your life. If you're concerned about getting to the gym

after work, go in the morning. If you're worried about those Thursday lunch-meetings, suggest a healthier place to eat. You

need to make your health the priority in your life. Once you do, it's amazing how many people will follow. When you replace

negative thoughts with positive, you'll build self-confidence and perpetual motivation. The more you focus on what you're

doing wrong or what you shouldn't do, the more power you give negative actions and fears. Focus on what you want to do and

shift your entire frame of mind.

Although it takes some time and energy to clean up your life, it's much easier to start with a newly-dusted mindset and a

cupboard that's not full of constant temptation.

Lieutenant Justin Vest

Page 10: the SNSO STAR

Investigations Captain Michael Kolbek

Agency Vehicle

Accident Reduction

Goal

In March the agency did

not have any vehicle

accidents.

2 - preventable

accidents for the year

S pring has finally sprung in

Shawnee County and with that the

usual message to our citizens

applies as it relates to helping to

thwart criminal

activity in your

community. The

C r i m i n a l

I n v e s t i ga t i o n

Division stands

ready to investigate those crimes

that are committed and it is

imperative that we do all we can to

ensure that we do not leave

ourselves open to becoming the

victim of a crime.

As the weather warms families will

be spending much more time

outside enjoying the pleasant

weather and engaging in activities

with their friends and family. The

Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office

sees this as a force multiplier in our

ability to fight crime.

Several things to keep in mind

during the upcoming warm season:

1. Vehicle burglaries typically

increase during the summer

months. Remember to Lock

It, Remove It, or Lose It.

Ensure that your valuables

are not left in plain view in

your cars.

2. O u t d o o r a c t i v i t i e s

oftentimes involve the

consumption of alcoholic

beverages. Please drink

responsibly and use a

designated driver.

3. Boating Under the Influence

can be as deadly as Driving

Under the Influence.

4. Be vigilant when operating

your vehicle on the

roadway. Watch out for

w a l k e r s , b i c y c l e s ,

motorcycles, and children.

5. Ensure that adequate

planning takes place for

family trips, including

ensuring your

vehicle is road

ready, and that

y o u a l l o w

enough time to

enjoy the trip.

6. Contact the Shawnee

County Sheriff’s Office to

have a Vacation Watch

(Service Request) placed on

your residence while you

are away.

7. Plan now for severe

weather including having a

functional weather radio, a

plan in the event of a

weather emergency, and

enough supplies gathered

up to last a few days.

8. Lastly, enjoy your spring

and summer time, and be

safe.

It is imperative that we partner

together to continue to make our

community safer and free of

criminal activity. As I have stated

numerous times, if you see

something in your neighborhood

that doesn’t seem right, or observe

suspicious activity please contact

the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office

to report it. Again, we are a team

and must work together in our

crime fighting efforts.

Working in partnership with the community to protect and serve with

honor, integrity, and professionalism.

I was selected to participate as a

member of the Leadership Greater

Topeka Class of 2012 and began

participating with my classmates in

various training and community

activities last month. I am amazed at

the amount of energy this class has.

It is comprised of private, non-

profit, and public leaders

throughout the community who give

of themselves to make Topeka a

better community. My project

group is categorized as “Basic

Needs,” and we have entered into a

partnership with the Ronald

McDonald House to assist them with

some fundraising, and to give their

property a good spring cleaning so

that the families who use the facility

can have nice accommodations

while they care for their

hospitalized love ones. I truly am

proud to represent the Shawnee

County Sheriff’s on this great team

of compassionate human beings.

Be safe and enjoy your Spring and

Summer,

Captain Kolbek

“It is imperative that we partner together to

continue to make our community safer and

free of criminal activity”

Page 11: the SNSO STAR

Support Services Captain Shane Hoobler

April is here with lots of exciting news for the Services division. Our new Process Server Debra

Perez has started and seems to be taking to her new role well. I would encourage anyone to say

hello when you see her. There also will soon be a new addition to the Warrants unit although it may

be a little bittersweet. We will be gaining Rhonda Handley but we will be losing Kathy Bolan. Kathy

has been employed with the county since July 1990 but will be leaving our midst on the 27th of this

month. Kathy, you have been a valued employee to all and friend to many and will be sorely

missed. But we will welcome Rhonda with open arms and get her going with the flow soon.

In the accreditation news the Mobile, Alabama CALEA Conference went well with us shining as

much as we did when the assessors were here. Out of the 53 agencies represented for their

Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation or Re-Accreditation we were one of 11 that not only

received the accreditation but also received the Award of Excellence, formerly known as Flagship

status. This shows what an exceptional agency we have and our dedication not only to each other

but also to the residents of Shawnee County. There was an interesting analogy shared at the

conference- If your son or daughter needed to have a major operation would you rather them be in

the hands of those employed at an accredited hospital or one who is not held to those same standards

of excellence? An interesting question to ask if you hear someone doubting the accreditation

process.

In-service training is going full force now. Please check the schedule to make sure that you attend

on the days that you have signed up for. If you need to double check when you are signed up you

can find the schedule in the Common folder under Training Schedules. Or you can call or come by

and see Stephanie or Lt. Vest and we can let you know. Also, any training certificates that you

receive can be dropped off either in the Accreditation box up front or over in the corner by Lt.

Vest’s office in the boxes on the file cabinet.

Kathy Bolan

April 26, 2012

Lobby of the Sheriff’s Office

1:00 p.m.

Retirement Reception for

July 30, 1990-April 27, 2012

22 years

Page 12: the SNSO STAR