As I continue with reporting the activity of the Sheriff’s Department thus far in 2016, I would like to share some data from the Patrol Division. Probably the most visible division within the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department is our division, and it comprises the most recognizable duties we carry out throughout the year. There are 12 deputies assigned to the division, which is supervised by Lt. Jason Veeser. The minimal staffing for Kewaunee County’s 400 square miles is two patrol deputies. When you consider the distance from Tisch Mills on our southern border to Dyckesville on our northern border, you begin to understand the demands this puts on our staff both from the perspective of continual presence to that of response time.

If we were to look at the overall process from the time that a call or complaint is made to the department through its completion, the division plays an important role. Aside from the calls that are determined to be civil in nature, and not involving an active crime, the division is dispatched to every one of them, ranging from keep the peace to traffic offense to domestics. The category for these calls is “complaints assigned” and they account for 3,324 of the total activity. In many cases, the complaints might be occurring within one of the local jurisdictions or even involving an adjacent county, but we are requested to provide assistance. These are categorized as “assist other agencies” and account for 552 of the total patrol activity.

Of these complaints that we respond to, not all result in arrest. Many times, the deputy is able to mediate the situation or resolve the complaint with a warning to the perpetrator. In some cases, the evidence that is provided to the deputy requires that an arrest be made. In those cases where it is necessary to arrest, the total number thus far in 2016 is 207. While this number might seem low, these calls tend to be very involved and require a great deal of the deputy’s time in follow up and documentation.

The most commonly perceived duty of the patrol deputy is, of course, traffic enforcement, although it accounts for little of the overall time spent in a given shift because of the demands of call response. So far in 2016, there have been 1,234 citations issued along with 1,080 warnings. We like to approach traffic enforcement from an educational perspective, and when possible try to achieve the learning experience through warnings. Unfortunately there are times where either the offense is so egregious or the individual has already been given the courtesy of a warning that a citation is unavoidable. It is important for people to realize that deputies do not enjoy issuing citations any more than the person on the receiving end. Our ultimate goal is always public safety.

Some of the duties the division carries out that might not be as commonly known are those related to civil process. By statute, the department is tasked with carrying out actions that are a result of our circuit court judge’s orders. These can range from eviction actions, actions in support of a writ or even involvement in child custody orders. We are also part of the notification to those involved in these actions through the service of papers or notices. These “papers served or attempted” account for 420 of the calls so far this year.

The two final categories are what I would consider customer service. They are “citizen assists” and “property checks.” The category of citizen assists is for the most part unplanned events that are a result of an unfortunate circumstance on the part of the citizen. These can range from stranded motorists to providing information regarding vehicle registration or licensing. Deputies handled 420 citizen assists so far this year. Property checks are a service we provide when requested from individuals in our community who might be away from their homes for an extended period of time, or an additional amount of attention we may give to a property which has been the victim of a recent criminal act and the owner would like us to monitor activities in their area. So far in 2016, we have conducted 2,412 such checks.

I hope that the take away from this article is that when you see a squad, you have a better understanding of the many different duties that these men and women engage in on a given shift. In all of these numbers, the most important element is the relationship that we have with those whom we serve. All the data and statistics mean nothing if we do not have the support of our community, and it is our goal to maintain a high level of professionalism for those we have sworn to protect and serve!

Matt Joski is the sheriff of Kewaunee County.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press Gazette: Sheriff''s corner: A deputy's many duties