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Sheriff
Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Sheriff’s Office to keep Benton County safe by enforcing laws, providing public safety services, and building community partnerships with respect and integrity.
Vision Statement
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office strives to reduce crime and build community trust while ensuring accountability to the people we serve.
Strategic Plan
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office has made a plan to help guide their work in keeping Benton County safe. This plan focuses on enforcing laws, providing safety services, and building strong partnerships with the community, all with respect and honesty. To see a summary of the plan and a visual of how it works:
Key Responsibilities
The sheriff, as chief county law enforcement officer, is charged with keeping and preserving the peace of the county. The sheriff’s duties include:
- Investigating felonies and arresting those responsible
- Housing inmates in the county jail
- Transporting inmates through the court system
- Providing for the security of the court
- Conducting search and rescue operations within the county
- Serving civil actions and notices
- Collecting delinquent taxes
- Executing other processes as required by law to be served or posted on behalf of the state or county
Employee Makeup
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office employs 84 people including 29 licensed peace officers and 9 emergency communication officers. The 9 emergency communication officers answer 911 calls made from the unincorporated areas of Benton County as well as the cities of Rice, Sauk Rapids and Foley.
Citizen Volunteers
Trained citizen volunteers assist the Sheriff’s Office in the 20 member Mounted Patrol Unit, the 10 member Reserve Deputy Unit, and in a variety of program for inmates in the jail.
Jurisdiction
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of law enforcement for the whole county, but it mainly handles law enforcement in areas that aren’t part of a city or town. The Sheriff’s Office also works closely with other police departments that help cover parts of Benton County.
Sheriff’s Office Building
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office was built in 1996 and its jail can house up to 102 inmates.
Fees for service
Payment for any fees to the Sheriff’s Office may be made with cash, check, or credit cards. When paying with a credit card, a service charge of either 2.4% or $1.95 (whichever is greater) is charged on top of the designated fee for service.