First Quarter Updates

The Sheriff’s office and Detention Center have been very busy since Sheriff Stephens took office on January 1, 2019. Having just finished our first quarter, we wanted to share some of the changes and statistics with you and be as transparent as possible.

But first we would like to apologize for the inmate roster being down on our website. We understand from the many calls, texts, and emails we received that this is a widely used resource. We are in the middle of a program transition, which you will read more about below. But we are working with our IT personnel and our website provider to get the roster back online as soon as possible.

We truly appreciate all your support and patience during all of our transitions. We look forward to providing quality services and protection to all of the citizens of Johnson County

Sheriff’s Office Updates:

• Our patrol division began working 12-hour shifts which gives us the ability to have 3 deputies on shift at all times. This allows for us to have more patrol units on the roads, get reports completed on time, and keep our comp time down.
• Patrol deputies began using the eCrash accident system. This electronic reporting program immediately sends the report to the Arkansas State Police. This also makes reports easily available to those involved in an accident to access their report online at their own convenience.
• The Auxiliary Deputies began supervising the 309 Inmates (Trustees) while they are helping communities clean up their cemeteries in the County.
• Working collaboratively with the Prosecutor’s Office, we have revamped our prosecution reports to decrease redundant work for both Deputies and PA office employees.
• Uniforms have not been changed in the Sheriff’s office for over a decade. New uniforms were ordered in March and should arrive within the next couple weeks.
• Statistical reporting in all departments has changed somewhat and is being reported monthly at Quorum Court and will be reported quarterly to the public.
• We reorganized the Troop Room for the Deputies. This created more space and created a better workflow area.
• As mentioned in the introduction, we are in the process of transitioning from one Data Management System to another. This affects all of our incident reporting, criminal investigations and jail inmate management systems. It is a large undertaking but we have all the experts working together to ensure a smooth transition.
• As of Feb 1, we also formed a Narcotics/Criminal Apprehension Task Force. This interdiction team consists of two deputies from the Patrol Division, along with a certified narcotics detection K-9. This team is charged with concentrating their efforts on identifying and apprehending those involved in narcotic and criminal activity in our community.

Detention Center Updates:

• Corrections officers (CO) began working 12-hour shifts to increase jail staff coverage and to decrease comp time.
• Three COs were promoted to Sergeant to better manage the supervisory workload.
• The inmate menu was changed to decrease budget costs while maintaining healthy meal plans.
• The Guardian RFID system was implemented to track inmate movements and medication administration within the jail.
• Jail Ministry, Narcotics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery and GED classes continue.
• Along with the Sheriff’s Administrative Office and Patrol, the jail is in the process of changing over to the new Inmate Management System from Relativity Public Safety Solution (RPS).

911/Dispatch Updates:

• The Dispatch center was modified and reorganized to better increase workflow.
• Dispatchers began using the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software program which has improved efficiency and speed of data entry, providing more information to dispatchers during routine and emergency calls.

Information Technology Updates:

• We reviewed all current systems and services to decrease budget expenses.
• Upgraded to a new secure email system that allows officers to receive data more efficiently in the field.
• Upgraded PC and laptops to increase speed and efficiency.
• Moved to a new gigabit fiber Internet connection through Clarksville Light & Water.
• Secured our network to meet FBI requirements.
• We are the second in the State to pass the Criminal Justice Information Systems audit in 2019. Only 12 of 120 passed in 2018.

Please find attached our quarterly statistics for five different divisions under the Sheriff’s Office purview: Patrol, 911/Dispatch, Court/Transport, Criminal Investigation, Jail/Detention Center. We want to be as open and transparent as possible.

It will be our daily goal to provide quality support and protection, to which all the citizens of Johnson County are entitled.

Once again, we sincerely appreciate your support, confidence and patience during our transitions. If you have comments, concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact our office, we are here to serve you.

Sincerely,

Sheriff Jimmy Stephens

911/Dispatch Stats

Jail Stats

Patrol Stats

Court/Transport Stats

Criminal Investigation Division Stats