Menu
PCSO responded to more than 10,000 calls in 2023
With nearly 30 deputies patrolling the roads of the community, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office responded to more than 10,000 calls for service in 2023.
Specifically, the number was 10,224 according to information compiled and released this week by PCSO Public Information Officer Cpl. Scott Ducker.
The 21 merit deputies and eight reserve deputies of the department responded to 506 emergency runs while also making 317 arrests and filing 631 case reports.
“The work of our deputies is well documented — a group of more professional law enforcement officers and peacemakers cannot be found,” Sheriff Jerrod Baugh said reflecting on his first year in office. “Keep them in your thoughts and prayers each and every one. It’s not an easy job, but it’s a great opportunity to serve the public that puts their trust in each deputy. We thank you for this opportunity to serve Putnam County.”
Digging into the numbers a little deeper, that service to the county also included:
Traffic stops: 2,625
Citizen assists: 1,381
Motor vehicle crashes: 946
Warrant/paper service: 554
Suspicious activity/person: 502
Animal/livestock loose: 404
Alarms: 326
Burglaries and Thefts: 234
Assisting other agencies: 200
Civil matters: 191
Trespassing: 162
911 Hang up: 133
The work of the sheriff’s office doesn’t end on the road, though. While deputies may have made just over 300 arrests during the calendar year, the Putnam County Jail serves all law enforcement agencies in the county and sometimes beyond.
In 2023, the Putnam County Jail booked in a total of 1,217 inmates, with an average daily population of 130. The average inmate stay was 28 days.
During a recent meeting of the Putnam County Commissioners, Baugh noted that the jail had no in-custody deaths, and just one escape, though even this comes with an asterisk. The incident in question was a failed attempt while an inmate was receiving care at the hospital. A deputy made the apprehension in the hospital parking lot.
“Thanks to our jail staff, the public has been kept safe and our courts have been served by these dedicated and professional detention officers,” Baugh commented. “Jail Commander Shelody Birkemeier and her team continue to develop new and innovative ways to work with an aging jail and full capacity levels. All the above while treating the incarcerated with respect. Reciprocity in this respect is a requirement of our inmates on a daily basis.”
Birkemeier currently leads a staff of 21 full-time jail deputies and three part-timers.
During 2023, the top book-in charges included:
Local arrest warrants: 360
Possession of methamphetamine: 108
Court order/weekenders: 156
Possession of marijuana: 60
Operating while intoxicated: 55
Possession of paraphernalia: 54
Domestic battery: 47
Resisting law enforcement: 32
Warrant - Other agency: 31
Unlawful possession of a syringe: 29
Driving with a suspended license: 28