the snso star
TRANSCRIPT
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.
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.
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
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”
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.
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.
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
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!!
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
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”
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