Kent County Sheriff's Office

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Mission Statement

The mission of the KCSO is to preserve and protect the safety and security of the residents of Kent County and to provide fair, impartial, and humane treatment to those entrusted to our care.

Values

Our team of professionals at the KCSO will serve with integrity, compassion, and empathy. We will strive to deliver equitable access to diverse services.

Vision

The KCSO will be the guardians of the community. We will serve through vigilance, professional excellence, innovation, and empowerment.

Overview

The Kent County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) is responsible for the enforcement of criminal and civil law in the non-incorporated areas of the county, as well as providing support to incorporated areas upon request. Specialized areas of operations include community policing and school resource officers, Training Unit, K-9 Unit, Mounted Unit, Tactical Team, Technical Services Unit, Emergency Communications Center, and Court Security/Transfer Crew.

In addition to law enforcement operations, the Sheriff operates the jail. The Kent County Correctional Facility is the central booking facility and maintains custody of inmates who are unable to post bond and are awaiting trial for misdemeanor or felony offenses, as well as inmates that are guilty of a crime and given a sentence of one year or less. Special assignments in the jail include our Correctional Engagement Response Team, Jail Intelligence Unit, Classification, Indigent Defense, Video Arraignment, Processing and Property. We provide programming for qualified inmates that are in our custody.

The Sheriff's Office maintains its own training center for its 760-plus employees. The training facilities include a large indoor and outdoor firearms range, virtual reality training systems, and a mock intake vestibule and jail cell.

Priorities & Goals

Public Safety

  • Continued Enhancement of the Safety and Security of the Correctional Facility
  • Continued Police Presence and visibility within the Community
  • Deploy well trained specialty units throughout the county to augment services for all county residents
  • Ensure county-wide readiness for critical incidents
  • Increase our effectiveness of reduced criminality by focusing on pattern crimes
  • Reduce response time to emergency calls for service

Community Engagement

  • Leverage Community Relationships to enhance diversity amongst our recruits
  • Use strategic relationships in the community to enhance multi-language communication options

Effective & Efficient Services

  • Achieve and Maintain Accreditation Standards
  • Align our patrol response to community concerns and expectations
  • Create operational dashboards that will facilitate our command staff's ability to monitor public safety and other inmate services
  • Define operational equipment replacement plan
  • Develop data systems to enhance our abilities to track training, equipment, and personnel
  • Evaluate staff deployment to reduce response times and overtime
  • Increase efficiency and capability of the communications center
  • Leverage Technology to enhance Customer Service experience
  • Optimize funding opportunities

Resource Sustainability

  • Continued emphasis on the professional development of staff
  • Develop a master plan for expansion and renovations of our facilities to meet future needs of the community and staff
  • Emphasize de-escalation in all training and continue expansion of Crisis Intervention Training for all staff
  • Make staff's mental and physical health a priority when developing policy
  • Maximize Safety, Security, and Efficiency at all facilities
  • Unite and Build Communication between Departments