Story County Sheriff's Office (Iowa)
Encyclopedia
The Story County Sheriff's Office is the Sheriff's Department
for Story County
, Iowa
. The department provides law enforcement services for the contract towns and unincorporated areas of Story County, as well as providing for courthouse security, operating the county jail, and performing civil procedures. The current Sheriff is Paul H. Fitzgerald. Story County serves an estimated population of 86,754 people. When Iowa State University is in session, the county can have another 26,000 students added to the population at any given time.
The department is located at Story County Justice Center (1315 South B Avenue) in Nevada, IA.
Consisting primarily of Command Staff (Sheriff, Captain, etc...)
Divided into patrol and investigations. Commanded by the Lieutenant of Field Services.
Serves the role of the civil process as well as the secretarial staff and Sheriff's Reserves. Commanded by the Lieutenant of Support Services.
Sheriff's Office Reserve Division is a volunteer based division. Reserves are civilian employees who are sworn and certified as Reserve Deputies through ILEA. They act on behalf of the Sheriff, and perform most duties expected of a full time deputy. (Certification is through the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy
). The Reserve Division is seen mostly patrolling the local Iowa State University
Cyclone football games.
Runs the Story County Jail. A new generation 104-bed, direct-supervision jail, staffed by civilian detention officers. Commanded by the Jail Administrator.
Fully functional Public Safety Answering Point center. Has the technology to receive "Phase 1" and "Phase 2"
wireless 9-1-1 calls from within the county, along with landline 9-1-1, and dispatches appropriately to police/fire/medical personal. Led by the Division Commander.
The Class "A" uniform of the Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff consists of a tan blouse with green epaulets and patches embroidered on the shoulders, green trousers with a tan stripe, and black boots. The Stratton campaign hat
that is worn by Deputies is modeled after the hats worn by Army Drill Sergeants and Marine Corps Drill Instructors, and are green/olive drab in color with a gold cord.
The Class "B" uniform consists of a tan 5.11 BDU style blouse with embroidered name/ID tag, green 5.11 Tactical cargo pants, green baseball hat or black stocking hat, and black boots. The blouse, baseball hat and stocking hat have the badge embroidered.
The coat is a 5.11 multi-layer jacket that is green in color with a fleece inner layer. The outer and inner layer both have an embroidered badge as well as the patch sewn on to both shoulders.
Deputies primarily wear the Class "B" uniform unless in court or attending a ceremony (i.e. funeral for fallen officer, promotional event, etc...)
The shotgun carried in the car is the Remington 870
(12 gauge).
Additional weapons used are the AR-15/M4
and Ruger Mini-14.
, participants learn more about the department and what it takes to provide law enforcement services to the citizens of Story County. They experience every division within the office and receive hands on experience most nights. The three hour classes are held one night a week for eleven weeks. New classes are planned for each spring and fall. There is no cost to participate.
Sheriffs in the United States
In the United States, a sheriff is a county official and is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county. Historically, the sheriff was also commander of the militia in that county. Distinctive to law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected. The political election of...
for Story County
Story County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 89,542 in the county, with a population density of . There were 36,789 housing units, of which 34,736 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. The department provides law enforcement services for the contract towns and unincorporated areas of Story County, as well as providing for courthouse security, operating the county jail, and performing civil procedures. The current Sheriff is Paul H. Fitzgerald. Story County serves an estimated population of 86,754 people. When Iowa State University is in session, the county can have another 26,000 students added to the population at any given time.
The department is located at Story County Justice Center (1315 South B Avenue) in Nevada, IA.
Mission statement
"It is the mission of the Story County Sheriff's Office is to ensure public safety through the implementation of professional and proactive law enforcement services and to build trust by maintaining the highest standards of performance, integrity, and ethics."Contract Towns
- Roland
- McCallsburg
- Zearing
- Gilbert
- Colo
- Kelley
- Slater
- Sheldahl
- Maxwell
- Collins
Divisions
- Administrative Division
Consisting primarily of Command Staff (Sheriff, Captain, etc...)
- Field Services Division
Divided into patrol and investigations. Commanded by the Lieutenant of Field Services.
- Support Services Division
Serves the role of the civil process as well as the secretarial staff and Sheriff's Reserves. Commanded by the Lieutenant of Support Services.
Sheriff's Office Reserve Division is a volunteer based division. Reserves are civilian employees who are sworn and certified as Reserve Deputies through ILEA. They act on behalf of the Sheriff, and perform most duties expected of a full time deputy. (Certification is through the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy
Police Academy
Police Academy is a series of American comedy films, the first six of which were made in the 1980s. The seventh and to date last installment, Mission to Moscow, was released in 1994. The series opened with Police Academy which started with the premise that a new mayor had announced a policy...
). The Reserve Division is seen mostly patrolling the local Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
Cyclone football games.
- Jail Division
Runs the Story County Jail. A new generation 104-bed, direct-supervision jail, staffed by civilian detention officers. Commanded by the Jail Administrator.
- Communications Division
Fully functional Public Safety Answering Point center. Has the technology to receive "Phase 1" and "Phase 2"
Enhanced 911
Enhanced 911, E-911 or E911 in North America is one example of the modern evolution of telecommunications based system meant as an easy way to link people experiencing an emergency with the public resources that can help. The dial-three-digits concept first originated in the United Kingdom in 1937....
wireless 9-1-1 calls from within the county, along with landline 9-1-1, and dispatches appropriately to police/fire/medical personal. Led by the Division Commander.
Rank Structure
The Story County Sheriff's Office rank structure is as listed:| Rank | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Sheriff Sheriff A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country.... |
 |
| Captain Undersheriff An Undersheriff is an office derived from ancient British practice and still extant in, among other places, the United Kingdom and the United States, though somewhat different forms.-United States:... |
 |
| Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... |
 |
| Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... |
 |
| Patrol Deputy Police officer A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force... |
|
| Recruit Deputy |  |
Uniform
- Class A
The Class "A" uniform of the Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff consists of a tan blouse with green epaulets and patches embroidered on the shoulders, green trousers with a tan stripe, and black boots. The Stratton campaign hat
Campaign hat
A campaign cover is a broad-brimmed felt or straw hat, with a high crown, pinched symmetrically at the four corners .It is associated with the New Zealand Army, the Royal Canadian...
that is worn by Deputies is modeled after the hats worn by Army Drill Sergeants and Marine Corps Drill Instructors, and are green/olive drab in color with a gold cord.
- Class B
The Class "B" uniform consists of a tan 5.11 BDU style blouse with embroidered name/ID tag, green 5.11 Tactical cargo pants, green baseball hat or black stocking hat, and black boots. The blouse, baseball hat and stocking hat have the badge embroidered.
The coat is a 5.11 multi-layer jacket that is green in color with a fleece inner layer. The outer and inner layer both have an embroidered badge as well as the patch sewn on to both shoulders.
Deputies primarily wear the Class "B" uniform unless in court or attending a ceremony (i.e. funeral for fallen officer, promotional event, etc...)
Weapons
The primary weapon of the Story County Sheriff's Deputy is the SigSauer P229 (.40 caliber).The shotgun carried in the car is the Remington 870
Remington 870
The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.-Development:The Remington 870 was...
(12 gauge).
Additional weapons used are the AR-15/M4
M4 carbine
The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
and Ruger Mini-14.
Fallen officers
In the history of the Story County Sheriff's Office, one deputy has been killed in the line of duty. Sheriff McGriff was shot and killed as he and several deputies attempted to arrest an escaped mental patient.| Officer | Date of death | Cause of death |
|---|---|---|
| Sheriff Charles V. McGriff | |
Gunfire |
Specialized Teams/Programs
- Emergency Response Team (ERTSWATA SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
) - Underwater Search and Rescue TeamDiver rescuethumb|right|Beaching a casualty while providing artificial respirationDiver rescue, following an accident, is the process of avoiding or limiting further exposure to diving hazards and bringing a SCUBA diver to safety...
- Drug Recognition Expert ProgramDrug Recognition ExpertDrug Recognition Expert police officers are trained to be able to identify drug impaired drivers. DRE refers not only to the officers themselves, but to the 12-step procedure that these officers use. DRE was developed by police officers from the Los Angeles Police Department. In 1979, the Drug...
- Traffic Accident Reconstruction InvestigatorsTraffic Homicide InvestigatorA Traffic Homicide Investigator is a term used primarily in the United States of America for a police employee, generally a sworn law enforcement officer, who is assigned to investigate fatalities resulting from motor vehicle collisions.- Overview :...
- Instructor Training Programs
- Hostage/Crisis Negotiation
- Drug Task ForceUndercoverBeing undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
- Patrol Training Officer ProgramPolice training officerThe Police Training Officer program is a post-academy training program created from the educational approach known as problem-based learning. Program development was funded by the United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to train police recruits once they...
- Crime Prevention ProgramCrime preventionCrime prevention is the attempt to reduce victimization and to deter crime and criminals. It is applied specifically to efforts made by governments to reduce crime, enforce the law, and maintain criminal justice.-Studies:...
- Internet Safety Programs
- Sexual Assault Response Team
- Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) for the Mentally IllCrisis intervention training"Crisis Intervention Team Training" is a training program developed in a number of U.S. states to help police officers react appropriately to situations involving mental illness or developmental disability....
Citizen's Academy
Sheriff Fitzgerald's commitment to the citizens of Story County includes making the office more accessible to the public. In the Citizen's AcademyCitizen's Police Academy
Citizen's Police Academy is a program designed to acquaint individuals who are not sworn police officers with the activities of their local police department.The programs vary by department...
, participants learn more about the department and what it takes to provide law enforcement services to the citizens of Story County. They experience every division within the office and receive hands on experience most nights. The three hour classes are held one night a week for eleven weeks. New classes are planned for each spring and fall. There is no cost to participate.