Sheriff Divisions:
- Patrol
- Snow Patrol
- Boat and Water Patrol
- Dive Team
- Mounted Patrol
- DARE
- Detectives
- Drug and Gang Task Force
- Public Safety Answering Point
- Civil Process and Records Management
- Chaplaincy
- Special Response Team (SRT)
- K-9 Unit
Patrol
The Patrol Division is comprised of 1 captain, 3 sergeants, and 12 patrol deputies. Deputies assigned to the Patrol Division are uniformed deputies in marked squad cars. These are the men and women of law enforcement responding to the public’s requests for service and conducting proactive patrol activities intended to increase public safety. Patrol deputies are also charged with the responsibility of conducting the initial investigation of most crimes committed in the county. Patrol deputies work 10 hours shifts which overlap in the hours that typically generate the highest volume of calls for service, in order to provide the highest level of service to the citizens of Benton County.
Snow Patrol
The snow patrol conducts routine patrols of snowmobile trails and ditches within the county. They do "cabin checks" at seasonal properties and icehouses.
Boat and Water
The water patrol conducts routine patrols of Little Rock and Mayhew Lakes and the Mississippi River.
Mounted Patrol
The mounted patrol provides extra security at the annual Benton County Fair and other security details. The Mounted Patrol is available for search and rescue operations. They also show in numerous parades and other festivities within the county.
Benton County Mounted Patrol
DARE
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office currently has one full time deputy assigned to provide DARE instruction to 5th graders in the Sauk Rapids-Rice and Foley School districts. D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office began its DARE program in 1992. As of 2007, 6,850 students have graduated from the DARE program in Benton County.
Detectives
The detective division is comprised of 1 detective sergeant and 2 detectives. Members of this division conduct initial investigations on the most serious crimes committed in the county. Detectives also do follow up on patrol investigations requiring more in depth attention. The detectives are responsible for maintaining the evidence room, providing expertise and assistance to deputies at crime scenes, and working with investigative staff from surrounding agencies to cooperatively solve crimes occurring across jurisdictional boundaries. The detective sergeant provides training to the patrol staff in evidence collection and investigations. The detective sergeant also supervises the deputies assigned to the Drug and Gang Task Force. All members of the Detective Division are members of the Major Crimes Investigative Unit (MCIU), a cooperative partnership between Benton, Stearns, Morrison, and Todd Counties, and the City of St. Cloud that is dedicated to assist each other in solving major crimes occurring in the area.
Drug Task Force
The Central Minnesota Drug and Gang Task Force is an arm of the Major Crimes Investigative Unit (MCIU) and is tasked with investigating drug crimes and gang-related criminal activity in the Central Minnesota area. Benton County currently has 3 full-time deputies dedicated to working with staff from Stearns County, Morrison County, Todd County, and the City of St. Cloud to combat the problems of illegal drugs and gangs in our area. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office recognizes that illegal drugs and gang activity pose a significant threat to the public safety. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to utilizing all available resource to combat the effects of illegal drugs and gangs in our community. If you have information or a tip regarding illegal activity occurring in your neighborhood contact Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 320-255-1301 or online at http://www.tricountycrimestoppers.org/. Anonymous tips can be reported 24 hours a day either by telephone or at their web site.
The PSAP answers all 911 calls generated within the county, except those from the cities of St. Cloud and Sartell. The E911 center dispatches for Benton County, the cities of Foley, Rice and Sauk Rapids and the Foley, Rice and Sauk Rapids Fire Departments.
Civil Process and Records Management
The Sheriff is responsible for serving all civil actions and notices, collection of delinquent taxes and other processes as required by law to be served or posted on behalf of the state or county. Civil process staff handles the tracking of all these notices.
The records staff maintains all records associated with cases, and accident reports and citations. They also are responsible for disseminating public, protected and public information as prescribed by statute.
Chaplaincy
The Purpose of the Chaplaincy program is to Support Office personnel and their families in time of need with strict confidence and compassion. Serve as a communication link between persons in crisis and their own spiritual advisors. Coordinate follow-up counseling for those indicating both a need and an interest in such help. Lighten the burden by assisting, when requested, in the performance of tasks which tend to have a greater emotional and/or spiritual, rather than legal implication, e.g. death messages, domestic disturbances, suicide calls, fires, health trauma issues, and spiritual counseling requests.
Central Minnesota Emergency Services Chaplaincy offers service at this time to the police and fire departments of St Cloud, Waite Park, St Joseph, Sartell, Sauk Rapids; the counties of Stearns, Benton, and Sherburne; the State Patrol; first responders; and disaster personnel.
The SRT is a joint effort between Benton and Stearns County Sheriff's Offices to provide the needed law enforcement effort in special/high risk situations. This SWAT type SRT unit is highly trained, deeply motivated and specially equipped to deal with hostile and violent encounters with criminals.
K-9 Unit
The K-9 unit is a specialized team that makes use of the unique senses and abilities that a dog has to offer. The K-9 team is used to track suspects or lost individuals, apprehend suspects, protect the K-9 deputy, and locate drugs. K-9 handlers and their K-9 partners complete a 16 week training program before being placed into active duty. A deputy assigned to a K-9 partner is also responsible for the dog’s ongoing training and dedicates many hours to honing the dog’s skills. The Benton County K-9 program has been funded entirely by donations from the community. Thank you to all those community groups, businesses, and individuals who support our K-9 program. Pictured above are Deputy Brad Kadlec and his K-9 partner Ben.
