Spring 2023! - April, 2023

With Spring now officially upon us, I sure hope this month's letter finds everyone doing well.  Your Sheriff's Office staff continues to be most busy in all divisions; patrol, investigations, jail and administration.  Covering this vast 842 square mile county with 820 miles of county roadway (not including state and federal roadways) while booking/processing just shy of 3,000 arrested subjects annually can sometimes seem cumbersome, but frankly, it's our honor to serve our approximately 44,000 citizens, in addition to the additional visitors and travelers on a daily basis!

I am ecstatic to announce our School Resource Officer (SRO) contracts for the New Bloomfield, North Callaway and South Callaway school districts have been finally approved by me, the County Commission and respective school district administrations for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.  Of even more excitement, all three of the existing district SROs will remain in-place at their established districts this coming school year, providing continuity and consistency at their respective schools.  This is a win-win, with the students being the biggest winners!

Contrary to national rhetoric in other parts of our nation - which I know most Callaway County citizens do not buy into - the SROs are not in the schools to get kids "in trouble," but instead, to be a positive support in an array of manners.  In all reality and honesty, the SROs "arrest" very few students throughout the school year and frankly, doing so is a last resort.  The SRO program is designed to provide proactive, preventative measures in each district while again, providing positive support.  In all reality, the SROs spend their days assisting with programming, presentations, security measures, counseling, preventative measures, proactive policing, assisting staff/faculty and so-on.  While horrific acts of violence at other schools - some close to home - have highlighted the importance of SROs, please realize, these officers serve much more than a "security guard" role and provide so much other assistance to our school staff to support a positive learning environment for our students.

Upon assuming the Office of Sheriff in 2017, forming a School Resource Officer program was not a promise, but a priority.  Now coming up on our sixth year in the three respective rural school districts, I am honored to call the program a success.  Know though, it's only a success based on the work of the SROs and the community support they receive.

As always, I am always available for questions, comments, concerns, etc.  Please feel free to contact me anytime.

Respectfully, your Sheriff,

Clay Chism