Traffic accidents were at their highest in December; an unmanned drone was used on 31 missions; more marijuana was seized than any other illegal substance; school resource officers conducted 6,741 student counselings and more than 1,000 home visits.
This is some of the information gleaned from the 2021 annual report from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. The 20-page document was released on Tuesday, detailing – by the numbers – how deputies and staff spent 2021.Â
The sheriff’s office works on the road more than in any other setting. The department reported 10,762 traffic stops, where deputies issued more than 15,150 citations. Speeding made up a little more than 17% of citations, and more than 11% of citations were for seat belt violations, according to the report. The sheriff’s report noted nearly 20% fewer citations were written in 2021 than in 2020.
The sheriff’s office records an average of 260 traffic accidents a month, but that begins to increase during peak travel seasons. In May 2021, 281 crashes were recorded by the sheriff’s office. Crashes increased to more than 330 in November and December, both of which contain the busiest travel days of the year. The sheriff’s office noted that crashes decreased by 17% in 2021 from the previous year.
The sheriff’s office responded to 236 overdoses in 2021. Deputies administered Narcan in 31 overdoses, and 26 of those patients responded. Narcan is used to treat narcotic overdoses and it is commonly carried by emergency personnel. The report does not specify whether the other five individuals had fatal overdoses.Â
The sheriff’s deputies also responded to more than 650 emotional crisis calls in 2021. Sheriff Michael Helmig said these calls “can be traumatic for the person involved and the first responders.” As a result, the sheriff’s department asks deputies to complete Crisis Intervention Training.
“This 40-hour course is provided by mental health and law enforcement professionals and is designed to give law enforcement officers a better understanding of assisting people in crisis,” Helmig said.
The department deployed canine units 191 times in 2021 as well. The trained dogs were used in 66 apprehensions, according to the report, “none of those apprehensions resulted in a dog bite.”
Canine officers assisted with the seizure of more than 250 grams of marijuana last year, 28 grams of meth, 20 grams of methamphetamine and 4 grams of heroin.
The full 20-page report is available at boonecountykysheriff.com.