Sheriff’s Office FAQ’s

To file a protective order, you must obtain the petition paperwork from the Boone County Clerk's Office.  The Boone County Clerk's Office will file the paperwork with the courts.

One of the biggest advantages to bicycle patrol is its ability to navigate around swiftly, avoiding obstacles and hazards that would stop a patrol vehicle in its tracks. At events, bicycle police have the unmatched ability to be in the center of crowds with the means to get to other areas quickly

Mountain bikes have proven effective in a number of different environments. They are swift and agile in busy urban areas where traffic snarls and crowds delay motorized units. Bikes are also effective in less urban areas for park patrol, parking lots, school areas, residential patrol, business security, athletic or civic events, and specialized details. They can be operated on streets, sidewalks, alleys, trails, and in any areas that are difficult to access with motor vehicles.

One of the most versatile tools in law enforcement, emergency medical response, and security today is the mountain bike. Quiet, cost efficient, and amazingly effective, mountain bikes are able to bridge the gap between automobiles and foot patrol. Experience has shown that citizens are more likely to approach a bike patrol officer than even a neighborhood beat officer, optimizing community oriented or problem oriented policing efforts. Bicycle officers are better able to use all of their senses, including smell and hearing, to detect and address crime. Bike patrol officers are often able to approach suspects virtually unnoticed, even in full uniform. Bike-mounted security officers create a highly mobile, visible presence in a wide range of facilities, including shopping malls, casinos, office parks, gated communities, hospital complexes, and amusement parks. The mobility of an EMS provider on a bike can mean the difference between life or death in congested or crowded conditions. EMS on bikes are increasingly deployed in tourist areas, during special events, in amusement parks and sports arenas, on college campuses, and in airports, train stations

All payments are processed by the Boone County Clerk’s Office

Paperwork that is filed in the State of Indiana is $28.00 per cause number, out of state is $62.00 per cause number.

3 copies per individual listed on the summons and the receipt from the Boone County Clerks Office showing a paid Sheriff service fee.

Include a self-addressed stamped envelope when paperwork is sent to our office for service.

You can eFile by clicking on the link below.

Indiana Court eFiling

Any type of criminal or suspicious activity should be reported.  When calling 765-482-1412 for non-emergency situations or 9-1-1 for emergencies, please be specific.  We need to know what activity you have observed and what causes you to believe the situation is criminal or suspicious.  Please try to provide as much information as possible, such as vehicle descriptions, clothing and physical descriptions of suspicious persons, and good location information where the activity is occurring.

Examples of suspicious activity can include, but are not limited to:

·         Someone looking over fences

·         Someone trying to break into a residence or vehicle

·         Drug activity

·         Shots heard

·         Suspicious vehicles that are unfamiliar to the area

Often times it is difficult to determine what types of suspicious activity or people should be reported to the police.  When in doubt, call 9-1-1.

Calls are triaged based on the type of activity or urgency.  Incidents posing an immediate threat to life, where the threat is present and ongoing and/or an incident posing an immediate threat to life that involves the actual use or threatened use of a weapon, will get a high-level priority response.  This also includes crimes against persons or significant property crimes where a rapid response is needed and the incident is in progress, just occurred with the possibility of apprehending a suspect, or the incident is about to escalate to a more serious situation.

What does this mean?  Matters that do not involve immediate threat to life or do not have the potential to escalate to a serious incident may experience an extended wait, depending upon the call load and number of current emergencies.  Non-emergency events that are not necessarily time critical, but do require response from a police officer, may have to wait for an extended period of time.

Often, situations are still in progress when citizens call to find out what is happening in their neighborhoods.  Dispatchers are rarely apprised of specific details.  Furthermore, the situation you are inquiring about may be sensitive in nature and details cannot be made available to you.

765-482-1412, Option 4

Smart911 allows citizens to provide the additional details that 9-1-1 call takers may need to assist them during an emergency.  When you dial 9-1-1 today, the information received by the 9-1-1 call center can be limited, based on the type of phone from which you are calling.  With Smart911, anytime you make an emergency call from a phone registered with your Safety Profile, the 9-1-1 system recognizes your phone number and automatically displays your profile on the screen of the call taker who receives your call.

At a time when you may be panicked, or unable to communicate, or it could be unsafe to communicate, Smart911 ensures that the details you would need to tell 9-1-1 are immediately available in the event you cannot verbally provide them.  Smart911 is free, private, and secure

To create a free Smart911 safety profile simply go to www.smart911.com

Smart911 can help protect you, your loved ones, and other members of your household.  By creating a Safety Profile with Smart911 during a calm moment, you can take the time to ensure that the information is correct and accurate and exactly what you would like to be communicated to emergency response teams in an emergency.  Smart911 is free to all citizens.  It also allows you to receive important email/text alerts regarding weather, school, community, and road closures.

To create a free Smart911 safety profile simply go to www.smart911.com

Yes.  All 92 counties in Indiana can receive/respond to texts in their 9-1-1 Centers.

Find the message or messaging icon or menu choice on your phone.  Do not use a text app you downloaded.  Select 'create a new text message'.  Put 911 in the “To:” field.  Put your emergency and your location in the message body.  Do not attach or send pictures or videos.  Keep your message short and do not use abbreviations.  After you enter your text, press send.

The 9-1-1 center will reply within 20 seconds to one minute.

Continue your dialog with the 9-1-1 center, and follow their instructions.

Make a voice call when you can.  Text if you can't make a voice call, or if a voice call would put you in danger.  Text-to-911 is not as fast as making a voice call.  Your location is extremely important information to provide.  The 9-1-1 center may ask you to make a voice call if you don't know your location

Your phone must be able to send a text message. You can find out by texting a friend or family member to be certain.

Text-to-911 is not a priority service.  It can be delayed.  You can't send more than 160 characters.

The courthouse has been restricted to one entrance with security screening since June 1, 2017.  Entrance is made at the south side (Main Street) where there is an x-ray machine and metal detector.  Purses, backpacks, briefcases, etc. are screened with the x-ray machine and visitors walk through the metal detector.  The entry process takes just a few seconds.

Boone County Ordinance 2017-03 states, “No person shall be permitted to enter the Courthouse carrying or possessing a firearm, knife, weapon or explosive device.”

No. Deputies cannot be responsible for another person’s property. Prohibited items must be removed from the building before access can be granted.

People come to the courthouse for criminal hearings and sentencings, to pay taxes, appeal property assessments, divorce and child custody hearings, child support hearings, small claims disputes, and more.  For some people, these can be emotionally charged events, so not allowing weapons in the courthouse is a necessity.

To file a protective order, you must obtain the petition paperwork from the Boone County Clerk’s Office. The Boone County Clerk’s Office will file the paperwork with the courts.

If you are leaving your home on vacation or an extended period of time and would like extra patrol while you are gone. Contact the Boone County Communications Division (765) 482-1412 to be placed on the extra patrol list. Please provide the dates that you will be gone and any emergency contact information.

Through our website using the deputy’s email or by contacting the Boone County Communications Division (765) 482-1412 to have access to the department voicemail system.

Once an investigator receives the case through our record management system, they will contact the complainant or victim involved in the case.  The investigator will then initiate an investigation into the case and review all available evidence.  At the conclusion of their investigation, they will file charges if applicable.

The investigators will contact all persons associated with a case in order to completely and thoroughly determine if a criminal act occurred.  The victim will be contacted if not a juvenile, but rather a parent will be contacted on their behalf.

Our investigators specialize in investigations into a variety of crimes and/or conduct undercover operations, which may include: homicide, robbery, burglary, auto theft, organized crimes, missing persons, juvenile crime, fraud, narcotics, vice, criminal intelligence, aggravated assault/battery, sexual assault, computer crime, domestic violence, surveillance, and arson, among others.

Our investigators receive special training in interview, interrogation, computer, and technology software.  In addition, investigators attend many conferences and seminars throughout the year.  Investigators also rely on a network of informants they have cultivated over the years to further their street smarts.

Currently in Investigations there are three full time Detectives and two part time Detectives from the Boone County Reserve Division.  Also under the division leadership are three full-time Crime Scene Investigators.

Police K9 training is very different from traditional dog obedience training in that these dogs take on an important and specific responsibility, such as drug detection, general patrol or bomb detection. But the responsibility isn't solely on the dogs alone — their handlers play a big role in their success as well.

In most cases, K9 officers care for their police dog partners at all times, which means taking the dog home, caring for them, and keeping them in shape.

Absolutely! Police dogs live with their police officer partners/handlers, usually in a family setting, and at home are loving, trustworthy family members - just like other family dogs when they're off duty. Police dogs ARE family dogs.

Don't touch K9s or service dogs. They are on duty and not to be distracted or made familiar with people in the community. Doing so could be a danger to the disabled person, and maybe the police officer.

In general, police dogs are retired after about seven or eight years. The breeds that tend to work as police dogs live about 11 to 14 years on average, depending on the breed, so once they retire, sadly, they may only have a few years left.

The goals of SRO programs include providing safe learning environments in our county schools, providing valuable resources to school staff members, fostering positive relationships with youth, developing strategies to resolve problems affecting youth and protecting all students, so that they can reach their fullest potentials. NASRO considers it a best practice to use a “triad concept” to define the three main roles of school resource officers: educator (i.e. guest lecturer), informal counselor/mentor, and law enforcement officer.

The S.R.O. is available during school hours and can be reached after hours/weekends by contacting the Boone County Communication (765-482-1412) or if an emergency dial 911.  If emergency exists immediate police response will be dispatched.  The responding officers on scene can contact the School Resource Officer if the need exists.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Office SRO program is overseen by Sergeant Neil Randolph.  You may also contact the Boone County Sheriff’s Office main line to report your concerns.

Yes, for criminal investigations only.  Unless exigent circumstances exist (.e.g. crime of active violence in progress which threatens lives in the school), the SRO shall take immediate steps to contact parent(s) or guardian(s) before any questioning of a student about possible involvement in criminal activity. The SRO shall fully inform both the student and legal guardian of the entitlement of Miranda warnings before any questioning takes place. SRO’s shall seek the consent authorization (approval or denial) of the legal guardian before conducting any interview of the student.