This page describes services we provide to the community and how to request them. We operate under the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, so in many cases if you request assistance from the Sheriff's Office (for help with event security, for instance), have a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sheriff's Office or a Mutual Aid Agreement, you will receive our services automatically through your existing agreements. In some cases, you may wish to request our services directly. We also provide some services or benefits to members of the Sheriff's Office or their families.
Chaplains
The Sheriff's Auxiliary provides Law Enforcement chaplains and chaplain's assistants, including religious counseling to Auxiliary volunteers, members of the Sheriff's Office, and their families. Chaplains may also be requested to perform religious services such as marriages and funerals. In the field, Auxiliary chaplains may provide forward counseling for first responders and victims. To request services, select "Request Chaplain Services" from the drop-down on the Contact page, or contact the Auxiliary Chief of Staff. Please note that religious counseling is confidential, but do not include any sensitive or personal information in the request for services.
Event Planning: Security/Patrols/Traffic Direction/Communications/Threat Analysis
We provide a number of services through the Sheriff's Office for major public events within our area of operations, including assistance with event security, night-time patrols, communications support, traffic direction, and threat/hazard analysis (through our Intelligence Section). In any case where you request the assistance of the Lawrence County Sheriff with your event, we may become available to help as well. Make inquiries directly to the Sheriff's Office or to our Chief of Staff.
Because we are not peace officers, we must work closely with the Sheriff's Deputies or your local law enforcement to cover security needs. Our volunteers have 2-way radio training and our communications people have access to first responder/law enforcement radios. Our mission is generally to Observe and Report and to support law enforcement response. We are authorized to defend life, but not property; we do not make arrests; we are not bouncers. By supplying volunteers and communications, we act as a force-multiplier for law enforcement at the event. We can help you cover more ground, to help dispatch law enforcement to where it is most needed. We can provide first aid until other responders arrive. We can patrol after dark. At many large events, finding lost children (or lost parents) requires significant manpower and organization. We may also recommend and work alongside other volunteer organizations in the area, such as ARES (emergency communications) and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team).
If you are planning a large event which will require assistance, please allow enough lead time to ensure that we can respond effectively. Significant organization goes into fielding a volunteer force. We may be able to help you by providing a few volunteers at the last minute to extend your patrols, but we will be much more effective if we can plan our efforts ahead and if one of our officers can participate in your planning meetings. This is especially true if you require our assistance with threat/hazard analysis as we will need to research both historical and nationwide threats. Volunteers generally have responsibilities outside of the Auxiliary, including day jobs and families, so giving us enough time to make arrangements is courteous.
Livestock/Cattle Patrols
The Sheriff's Auxiliary has recently begun providing patrols to locate and deter cattle theft and has been coordinating with the Missouri Cattlemen's Association to this end. If you have special needs in this regard, we can potentially arrange extra patrols in your area during high-threat times. We can also place you on a contact list so that we can verify whether movement of livestock at odd hours is authorized or to help identify stock we find outside of its fence. We would appreciate cattlemen who are willing to let us use their driveways as staging areas for late night patrols, to let us make bathroom stops during patrols, or who might want to ride along with us on a patrol to help us learn what activity is normal and what activity is suspicious.
You may wish to read through our articles and resources on cattle theft. If you see vehicles in your area, the Sheriff's Office will be able to tell you whether or not we are patrolling and verify our identity.
Training/Classes
We provide classes and training to our volunteers and generally make these available to the public as well. If you have a large community requiring training, in 2-way radio use or in the mechanics of setting up a Sheriff's Auxiliary, for instance, you may request a special class in your area. Our volunteers will also give short talks on a variety of emergency response or disaster preparedness topics. We will generally do such classes for cost or for donations. We require 4-6 weeks notice and may request travel/lodging reimbursement for out-of-county classes.