Racine County Sheriff
The Racine County Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of Racine County, Wisconsin, and the head of the Racine County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office is the principal law enforcement agency that serves Racine County, providing police services to multiple areas throughout the county, including contracted areas. The current sheriff is Christopher Schmaling, a Republican who was first elected in 2010.
Racine County Sheriff's Office | |
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Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | Racine County, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, United States |
Legal jurisdiction | Racine County, Wisconsin |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Racine, Wisconsin |
Sheriff responsible |
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Website | |
racinecounty |
Areas served
The Sheriff's Office provides service for the following areas:
- Town of Dover
- Village of Elmwood Park
- Unincorporated community of Kansasville
- Village of Raymond
- Village of Rochester
- Village of Union Grove
- Village of Waterford
- Village of Yorkville
The following departments (outside the Sheriff's Office) rely on the sheriff's office for some services and are dispatched on the sheriff's frequency:
- Town of Burlington
- Town of Norway
- Town of Waterford
- Village of Wind Point
As a result, the only areas of Racine County which do not receive these services from the sheriff's office are the cities of Racine and Burlington, and the villages of Caledonia, Mount Pleasant, North Bay, and Sturtevant.
Leadership
Sheriff
The incumbent sheriff of Racine County is Christopher Schmaling, who was elected as a member of the Republican Party. He was first elected in the 2010 midterm election, receiving 63 percent of the vote. Schmaling has been part of the sheriff's office since 1996.[1] Schmaling took office on January 3, 2011, replacing retiring sheriff Robert Carlson, who had served in the position since 2003.[2]
Chief deputy
The chief deputy of the sheriff's office serves as the sheriff's second-in-command. The current chief deputy is John C. Hanrahan. In 2004, the Wisconsin Association of Homicide Investigators awarded him with the Michael Vendola Death Investigator of the Year Award.[3] He was involved in the investigation of Racine County Jane Doe.
Departments
Racine County Jail
The Racine County Jail, located in downtown Racine and sharing a block with the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, is the primary detention facility of the county and the sheriff's office. The jail has a maximum capacity of 876 inmates, making it one of the largest non-state detention facilities in Wisconsin. As of December 2015, the jail had a population of 667.[4] The current administrator of the Racine County Jail is Captain Bradley Friend.[5]
Operations Division
The Operations Division, headed by Captain Thomas Lamke, provides public safety services. The division consists of smaller units:
- The Evidence Custodian, responsible for collecting and preserving evidence for criminal cases
- The Investigative Bureau, which conducts criminal investigations
- The Metro Drug Unit, specifically involved in cases regarding illegal drugs
- Patrol Operations, which patrols the different areas of Racine County
There are also specialized teams:
- Four K9 units with trained police dogs
- The Water Safety Patrol and Racine County Dive Team, which perform patrol and rescue operations in the water, both in Lake Michigan and in the county's smaller lakes and rivers
- A SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) team
Support Services Division
The Support Services Division is responsible for securing county facilities, ensuring the successful operations of the sheriff's office, and providing other services. The division is led by Captain Daniel Adams. Specific units and responsibilities of this division are:
- The Civil Process Division, which serves legal papers to individuals and enforces lawful evictions
- The Records Bureau, which collects and maintains the records of the sheriff's office
- The holding of sheriff's sales and foreclosure auctions
- Security for the Racine County Courthouse and the Racine County Law Enforcement Center.
References
- Burke, Michael (2010-11-02). "RACINE COUNTY SHERIFF: Schmaling will become new sheriff". Racine Journal Times. Racine, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
- Tenuta, Marci Laehr (2011-01-04). "New sheriff vows to put public safety first". Racine Journal Times. Racine, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
- Wisconsin Association of Homicide Investigators
- Racine County Sheriff 2015 Annual Report
- Racine County Jail website