K-9

The Steuben County Sheriff has had a K-9 program since 1978 when Randy Albright and Dennis Croy became the first two handlers with their partners. Other handlers have been Kevin Kane with Rama, Shari Dean and Jake, Steve Bruns and Harley, John Gonya and Brix, Darren Compton and Smokey, Rodney Robinson and Rommel, Jeff Vanette with Bam, Adam Miller with Hasko, and Brad Kline with Kash. Our current K-9 teams consists of Todd Johnson & Klara and Jackson Spires & Finn.

Our K-9 Units are trained by Allen County Police Department K-9 Academy.  It is a fourteen-week course, which teaches the handlers and dogs’ obedience, agility, tracking, evidence search, area search, building search, and aggression control. They are also trained in narcotics detection which includes marijuana, methamphetamine, ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin. Our K9s are approachable and live at home with the handlers and their families.   

The Sheriff's K-9 program accepts donations year-round. For more information contact the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office at (260)668-1000 ext 5000.  

SRT

The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office SRT Team was started in 1996 with 8 entry officers. The SRT Team was trained by the Allen County SWAT team to serve search warrants and dangerous felony arrest warrants. In 1998 the SRT Team attended advanced tactical training by the Fort Wayne Police Department EST Team. This training advanced the SRT Team’s capability in handling most SWAT-type situations. In 1999 the Crisis Negotiations Unit, CNT, was developed to aid in hostage and barricaded situations.

The SRT Team averages 20 call-outs a year. Most of the operations that the team handles are high-risk search/arrest warrants. The team also handles barricaded subjects, hostage rescue, and man tracking operations, as well as assisting the IMAGE Drug Task Force.

Our team is equipped with less lethal options along with having a sniper assigned to our team. We have one Commander, one Team Leader, seven entry officers, one tactical medic, three negotiators, and two tactical dispatchers. The SRT Team has four vehicles assigned to the team: including a Command Post/Negotiator Operations Center.

In 2004 our entry team became a multi-jurisdictional team with the addition of two Angola City Police Officers. The CNT Team is comprised of two Steuben County Deputies, as well as one Angola City Police Officer. The Tactical Medic is a Reserve Deputy. The two Tactical Dispatchers are from the Steuben County Communications Department.

Every year the SRT Team organizes a golf outing that takes place in August. This is our only funding source to buy new equipment and to replace old equipment. The team also utilizes the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office to obtain surplus military gear.

Reserves

The Steuben County Sheriff's Office Reserves are vital to the operations the Sheriff's Office conducts on a day-to-day basis.  Our Reserves volunteer their time to assist with patrol duties, court process service, lake patrol, court security, and prisoner transports.

The Steuben County Sheriff's Office Reserves are split into two main groups, Patrol and Marine Patrol.  We currently have 8 officers assigned to patrol duties and 8 officers assigned to the marine patrol.  

The units assigned to patrol duties supplement the Deputies by providing shift coverage, assisting at special details when more manpower is needed, and serving court process papers.  All of the work they do is on a volunteer basis, serving their community.

The Marine Patrol provides a police presence on our many lakes.  The Sheriff's Office has received a grant through the Lake And River Enhancement (LARE) grant for several years which allows us to pay our Marine Patrol officers to provide patrol on our lakes.  The Marine Patrol officers also provide patrol on a volunteer basis.  Each year, our Marine Patrol teaches boater safety courses throughout the county that are sponsored by area businesses that provide lunch for the attendees.  

MSD Resource Officer

The Steuben County Sheriff's Office in partnership with the Metropolitan School District of Steuben County (MSD) has two full-time deputies assigned to the MSD schools. Deputy Brad Scare and Deputy Bill Lanoue are currently assigned with primary duties that include the safety and security of the schools, its students, and staff. One SRO deputy is fully funded by MSD schools and managed under contract by the Sheriff's Office and the other SRO deputy is partially funded by MSD schools and partially funded by the Sheriff’s Office. The deputies are full-time certified law enforcement officers in the state of Indiana with yearly training requirements completed through the Sheriff's Office. 

In 2012 the Steuben County Sheriff's office began a random patrol effort within all schools that students from Steuben County attend. This includes MSD, Fremont, Hamilton, and Prairie Heights school systems. The random patrols place uniformed and non-uniformed police officers in and around our schools at various hours and days. The interaction with staff and students has proven invaluable. Random patrol is in addition to the SRO programs already in place in each of the school systems.