Jasper Police Chief gives November activity report; Board approves employment offers to two new officers

The Jasper Police Department answered 1,166 calls for service during November, Police Chief Chad Dick reported to the Board of Public Works and Safety on Tuesday.

Chief noted that the department handled 47 crashes with only property damage and six with injuries in November, several of which were related to snow and ice.

“November ushered in our first cold snap, along with the white stuff falling from the sky, one that caught everybody off guard,” Dick said. “So thankfully everybody worked together. Not only the police department, but the street department.”

Officers made 236 traffic contacts, resulting in 46 arrests throughout the month.

The department’s detective division remains active with three forensic interviews, four search warrants served, and one subpoena executed. Detectives also made two arrests in ongoing cases and responded to three after-hours callouts. They opened four new investigations involving children and four other general investigations, and conducted 14 interviews in total.

The department’s data-pilot tool, used to extract evidence from electronic devices, was used twice in November. Officers also conducted two certified voice stress analysis tests.

Detective Sergeant Greg Brescher traveled to the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City to participate in a polygraph examination of an offender involved in a local child molesting case. The department also assisted the Huntingburg Police Department with Internet Crimes Against Children search warrants.

School resource officers reported 267 activities, including searches, stop arm violations, truancy investigations, home visits, informal student counseling, safety drills and presentations.

The narcotics detective made one arrest and seized 4 grams of methamphetamine and 14 grams of cocaine found in a stolen vehicle. One search warrant was served in connection with narcotics investigations.

Dick reported that since implementing the geofence system in September, the dispatch center has handled a significant share of the county’s emergency calls. In November, Jasper dispatchers took 539 emergency calls, representing 38 percent of all Dubois County emergency calls, according to the chief.

“That number has been fluctuating anywhere between 36 and 40 percent since that geofence has been put up,” Dick explained. “To be as small of a footprint as we are for the county, they’re taking on a pretty sizable amount of the 911 call log.”

He added that this was in addition to the walk-in reports they receive.

Chief Dick outlined several grants and donations totalling more than $5,600 the department had received in recent weeks.

Patrolman Logan Jones successfully applied for three grants through the Dubois County Advocacy for Recovery and Prevention Council. The grants include $650 for the phone line required for the department’s breath test instrument, $1,091.55 for a money counter that also records serial numbers for seized funds during investigations, and $2,418.47 for covert narcotics equipment.

A law enforcement supporter donated $600 to purchase two Mantis Titan training guns. These technology-based weapons match the size and style of officers’ duty weapons but use lasers and smartphone apps for training without ammunition.

“It tracks motion, it tracks sights, it tracks what you’re doing as far as pulling the trigger,” said Dick.

The training guns allow officers to practice firearms training and magazine changes safely in the police department’s basement without requiring range time or live ammunition.

Nine local businesses contributed an additional $1,500.50 in donations to the police department. Any remaining funds from the training gun purchase will be used for department needs as determined appropriate.

The department faces staffing challenges with two officers in the final stages of the Indiana State Police lateral transfer process. Both officers have accepted conditional offers from the state police but await final approval by Jan. 2.

Dick requested board approval for conditional job offers to two remaining candidates from the department’s recent hiring process. The timing creates challenges since the state police academy begins Jan. 18, while the local police academy starts Jan. 19.

“Replacing officers is a lengthy process,” Dick said. “Our time frame is greatly shortened and kind of unknown as we have not received official notice from the two officers.”

He asked the board to approve sending these officers to the additional training they are required to complete outside the academy before the class starts.

The board approved conditional offers of employment to Alex J. Lawyer and Andrew J. Fleck as probationary police officers, contingent on completion of all hiring requirements and the availability of positions.

Even if three new officers enter the academy, they will not be fully trained and on patrol until late 2026, leaving the department short-staffed for most of next year.

Dick also praised the department personnel for their dedication during the challenging month.

“I can’t say enough about the hard work that the men and women do down there at the police department,” he said. “They’re true servants of the city to want to make sure that the city is a safe community for us all to reside or to live in.”