Hancock County Sheriff’s Office
Michael E. Heldman, Sheriff
The Sheriff, as chief law enforcement officer of the county, is responsible for servicing a landmass of approximately 534 square miles. This includes 1,185 miles of roadway, of which 217 miles are state highways, 534 miles of township roadways and 434 miles are county roads.
The Enforcement Unit consists of 20 deputies patrolling, 6 detectives, 5 school resource officers, 2 administrators, and 1 crime prevention officer. There are also 6 sworn deputies available from the Transport Warrant unit. Each position has a patrol car. The fleet consists of 30 patrol vehicles, 8 vehicles for the Transport unit, and 8 vehicles for the detective unit.
The Enforcement Patrol unit remains the most visible arm of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. This division consists of Deputy Sheriffs serving the county in a proactive approach to problem-solving and community policing. They actively work together with citizens to explore creative solutions to solving problems and fighting crime.
This division is responsible for traffic enforcement, as well as responding to calls for service.
The Road Patrol is responsible for safeguarding property, investigating crime, and responding to complaints and accidents. They are also responsible for the service of subpoenas, warrants, summons, and other legal notices as issued by the courts.
The Detective Unit consists of a sergeant and five detectives, two of which are assigned to the METRICH Drug Task Force.
The unit is also responsible for juvenile assault and abuse cases, as well as all cases which require more in-depth investigation than is provided by the road patrol.
The HCSO Detective Unit is part of a ten-county drug task force called METRICH.
METRICH is one of the few de-centralized task forces in the State of Ohio promoting a Community Policing philosophy approach to task force operations. METRICH is also the largest drug task force in Ohio.
The Sheriff’s Office and the Findlay Police Department joined METRICH in October of 1999. METRICH is funded through the Office of Criminal Justice Services.
The Crime Prevention Officer plays many roles at the Sheriff’s Office, representing the Office, serving on multiple boards and committees, and planning and attending many events.
The Officer also participates in many continuing education opportunities, training, and seminars.
An SRO is a certified, sworn officer assigned to a school on a long-term basis. SRO’s are trained to perform three primary roles: Law Enforcement Officer, law-related Counselor, and law-related educator. The officer also collaborates with the school and the community as a resource for safety and security issues. The SRO is also the liaison between the School District and the Sheriff.
The SRO assists the school administration in maintaining a safe and secure environment. School administrators benefit from the SRO’s training, knowledge, and experience in handling situations involving possible weapons violations or identifying dangerous controlled substances. The SRO provides a highly visible presence to deter or identify trespassers on campus. School Resource Officers will have contact with a majority of students in a school. SRO’s perform classroom presentations on related issues, allowing them to interact with students. The connection that the SRO has with students in the classroom is a positive learning experience.
