Lake County Sheriff's Department (Indiana)

The Lake County Sheriff's Department is the county law enforcement agency for Lake County, Indiana.

History The first sheriff was elected in 1837, when Lake County was organized.

Notorious gangster John Dillinger was held in the Lake County jail from January 1934 to March, when he escaped. The sheriff at the time was Lillian Holley, who held the office after the previous sheriff, her husband Roy, was shot and killed: although the media mocked her for Dillinger's escape, the fault lay with the prison warden and his officers.

In 1975, the Sheriff was found in contempt for failing to improve conditions at the jail.

In 1985, Sheriff Rudy Bartolomei was indicted on corruption charges. Bartolomei later turned state witness and was placed in witness protection after providing testimony against several Lake County political figures.

In 1990 the burned body of a deputy and his wife were found in a car in Gary, Indiana. The deputy was due to testify in a federal racketeering trial against a Merrillville town councilman.

In 2016, Sheriff John Buncich was indicted on federal public corruption and bribery charges. His chief deputy and another person were also named in the charges.

In 2021, officers of the Crown Point, Indiana police department began to pursue a vehicle for speeding 90 mph in a posted 45 mph zone. The vehicle was being driven by Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., who activated the emergency lights on the vehicle, after which the police stopped their pursuit. The county commissioners soon sent a letter to the county prosecutor asking for an investigation into alleged misuse of county vehicles. In January 2022, Martinez was indicted on charges of resisting law enforcement and reckless driving. Martinez called the indictment a "witch hunt" and nevertheless ran for office in the 2022 election. In February 2024, Martinez pleaded guilty to reckless driving, a misdemeanor, in exchange for a felony charge of resisting law enforcement to be dropped by prosecutors and was sentenced to sixty days probation.

Organization

The Lake County Sheriff's Department employs 168 sworn police officers, 170 sworn corrections officers and 156 civilians under the sheriff's direction.History of the Lake County Sheriff's Department

The command staff includes a chief of police and four commanders, each responsible for a division, who are assisted by deputy commanders. The Corrections Division is led by a chief warden, an assistant warden and three deputy wardens.Command Staff of the Lake County Sheriff's Department

Staff Services Division consists of the Bureau of Information, Bookkeeping, Human Resources, Property/Evidence Management, Telecommunications, Training and Vehicle Maintenance Operations.Administrative Services Division overview Civil Division is charged with serving summons, subpoenas, evictions and writs of the Lake County Superior and Circuit courts as well as from other jurisdictions.Civil Division overview Corrections Division operates the Lake County Jail and administers the Work Release Program designed as an alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders.Corrections Division overview The modern Lake County Jail opened in 1975 in a five-floor facility with 286 beds. In 1991, capacity was increased to 460 beds and additions in 2000 provided for a total of 1,085 beds. A Special Operations Response Team (SORT) is utilized in controlling inmate disturbances and restoring order in emergency situations. Criminal Investigations Division comprises the General Assignment, Auto Theft, Special Victims Unit, and Warrant units as well as the Crime Laboratory and officers assigned to multi-jurisdictional task forces.Criminal Investigations Division overview Uniform Division primarily provides police service to the unincorporated areas of the county and in the town of Winfield which does not have an established police department.Uniform Division overview This division also maintains an organized Bicycle Unit as well as a Traffic Unit which utilizes both patrol vehicles and motorcycles for enforcement and has trained accident reconstructionists. The Court Security Unit provides security at all county courts located at the Lake County Government Center and at facilities in East Chicago, Gary and Hammond.

The department also has a number of Special Operations Units with specifically trained personnel assigned for Aquatics Underwater Recovery and Rescue, Aviation, Bomb Squad, Chaplains, K-9, Marine, Tactical (SWAT) and a mobile communications Command Center.Special Operations Units overview

Aircraft The Lake County Sheriff's Department has three helicopters used for law enforcement in the county and for assistance to local police agencies. They are maintained by the Aviation Unit and are operated from the Griffith-Merrillville Airport in Griffith, Indiana.

According to FAA records, the helicopters currently registered to the agency include a Bell OH-58A a Bell OH-58A and a Eurocopter EC120B

Demographics

DemographicsLaw Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers Male93%Female7%White71%African-American16%Hispanic13%Asian0%

Fallen officers In the history of the Lake County Sheriff's Department, seven officers have been killed in the line of duty.

Name Date of death Age Tenure Cause of death Deputy Sheriff George R. Zorodny March 14, 1930 38 1 year Motorcycle accident Sheriff Roy F. Holley January 17, 1933 43 2 years Gunfire Special Deputy Sheriff Charles E. McKinney March 21, 1984 51 10 years Gunfire Sergeant William G. Paterson January 25, 1994 44 18 years Vehicular pursuit Deputy Paul W. Mitchell June 12, 1999 24 1 year Automobile accident Deputy Chief Gary L. Martin August 22, 2006 63 28½ years Bicycle accidentCorrectional Officer Britney R. Meux March 6, 2012 25 3 years Vehicular assault

Lake County Sheriff's Department (Indiana)

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