About Us
|
|
Sheriff  |
Sheriff Chris Lane was elected on November 8, 2022 as the 59th Sheriff of Bartholomew County after running unopposed in both the primary and general election. He was sworn in for his first term in office on December 30, 2022, and immediately set to work on the priorities he has outlined for his term in office.
Sheriff Lane has dedicated over 30 years to law enforcement. During this time, he has served in a variety of positions, including patrol, supervision, administration, and investigations. He was appointed as Chief Deputy of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department from 2015 - 2022. Sheriff Lane is also a 2019 graduate of the FBI National Academy, joining an elite group that makes up less than 1% of America’s law enforcement community.
Sheriff Lane is steadfast in his dedication to both the community and the law enforcement officers under his command. During his term, he has prioritized drug enforcement, efficiency and innovation, employee retention, mental and physical resilience of law enforcement, and partnerships with community and law enforcement organizations. Sheriff Lane and his team will continue to work with the Columbus Police Department, Indiana State Police, DEA, FBI, the local fire departments, first responders, and prosecutors. He will continue to provide a law enforcement voice for community organizations and agencies in an effort to strengthen Community Policing.
Sheriff Lane resides in Bartholomew County with his wife, Connie, and two adult children, David and Blake.
Duties of the Sheriff
Ind. Code § 36-2-13-5 : Indiana Code - Section 36-2-13-5: Duties
(a) The sheriff shall:
(1) arrest without process persons who commit an offense within the sheriff's view, take them before a court of the county having jurisdiction, and detain them in custody until the cause of the arrest has been investigated;
(2) suppress breaches of the peace, calling the power of the county to the sheriff's aid if necessary;
(3) pursue and jail felons;
(4) execute all process directed to the sheriff by legal authority;
(5) serve all process directed to the sheriff from a court or the county executive;
(6) attend and preserve order in all courts of the county;
(7) take care of the county jail and the prisoners there;
(8) take photographs, fingerprints, and other identification data as the sheriff shall prescribe of persons taken into custody for felonies or misdemeanors; and
(9) on or before January 31 and June 30 of each year, provide to the department of correction the average daily cost of incarcerating a prisoner in the county jail as determined under the methodology developed by the department of correction under IC 11-10-13.
(b) A person who:
(1) refuses to be photographed;
(2) refuses to be fingerprinted;
(3) withholds information; or
(4) gives false information;
as prescribed in subsection (a)(8), commits a Class C misdemeanor.
(c) The sheriff may supervise and inspect all pawnbrokers, vendors, junkshop keepers, cartmen, expressmen, dealers in secondhand merchandise, intelligence offices, and auctions. The sheriff may authorize any deputy in writing to exercise the same powers.
As added by Acts 1980, P.L.212, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.344-1983, SEC.1; P.L.85-2004, SEC.12; P.L.63-2008, SEC.5.
Leadership Team
Leadership Team
|
|
Major John Martoccia, Chief Deputy John Martoccia is a graduate of Columbus East High School and Vincennes University. He started his law enforcement career with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 1995 as a Corrections Officer before being promoted to a Merit Deputy in 1995 and attending the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. Since that time, Major Martoccia has held every rank at the department and has served as a patrol deputy, patrol Sgt., patrol Lt., detective, narcotics detective and jail commander. Major Martoccia is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, attended by fewer than 1% of the nation’s law enforcement officers, thus joining an elite group of police professionals. In his position as Chief Deputy of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Major Martoccia oversees the Sheriff’s Office in the absence of the Sheriff. Major Martoccia resides in Bartholomew County with his wife, Aimee, and their three children. |
|
|
Major Brandon Slate, Operations Brandon Slate is a graduate of Columbus North High School. He started his law enforcement career with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 2003 as a Corrections Officer before being promoted to a Merit Deputy in 2007 and attending the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, where he graduated as an honor graduate. Since that time, Major Slate has served the department as patrol deputy, patrol Sgt., patrol Lt., detective, narcotics detective, and Captain. In his position as Major of Operations, of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Major Slate oversees the day-to-day operations of the department. Major Slate resides in Bartholomew County with his wife, Ashley, and their two children. |
|
|
Captain Chris Roberts, Criminal Investigations Chris Roberts is a graduate of Columbus North high school. He started his law enforcement career with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 1994. Since that time, Captain Roberts has served the department as patrol deputy, Merit Sgt., Detective, Lt. Detective, and has served as the Criminal Investigations Division Captain for the last eight years. Captain Roberts has also previously served as leader of the Dive Team, Deputy Commander of Water Rescue and Domestic Violence Coordinator. In his position as Captain of Criminal Investigations, of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Captain Roberts oversees the operations of the Criminal Investigations Units. Captain Roberts resides in Bartholomew County with his wife, Jennifer. |
|
|
Captain Justin Arnholt, Jail Commander Justin Arnholt is a graduate of Columbus North High School. He started his law enforcement career with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 1997 as a Corrections Officer before being promoted to a Merit Deputy in 2003 and attending the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. Since that time, Captain Arnholt has served the department as patrol deputy, field training officer, patrol Sgt., and patrol Lt. In his position as Jail Captain, of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Captain Arnholt oversees the day-to-day operations of the corrections division. Captain Arnholt resides in Bartholomew County with his wife, Summer, and their two children. |
|
|
Captain TA Smith, Road Division Commander T.A. Smith is a graduate of South Decatur High School and attended college at IUPUC and University of Virginia. He started his law enforcement career with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 1983. Since that time, Captain Smith has served the department as patrol deputy, patrol Sgt., patrol Lt., Captain, Major and Chief Deputy. Captain Smith is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (2004), attended by fewer than 1% of the nation’s law enforcement officers, thus joining an elite group of police professionals. In his position as Uniform Division Captain, of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Captain Smith oversees the day-to-day operations of the uniform division. Captain Smith resides in Bartholomew County with his wife, Becky, also a retired Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. |
|
|
Bobbie Shake, Sheriff's Office Matron Bobbie Shake is a graduate of Heritage Hills High School and Penn Foster College. Bobbie Joined the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 2023. In her position as Sheriff’s Office Matron she is responsible for many duties, including; payroll, bookkeeping, management of the records division, and managing the budget – just to name a few! Matron Shake resides in Bartholomew County with her husband, Jeremy and their two children. |
Community Programs
Community Programs
D.A.R.E.
|
|
For over 25 years, the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office has been actively involved with the Drug Abuse Resistance Program (D.A.R.E. - Drug Abuse Resistance Education). The collaborative effort with the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation has achieved a high level of success.
Sgt. Whipker began his career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Merit Deputy in 2015. Prior to his service with BCSO, Whipker served as a Probation Officer with the Greenwood, IN Probation Department. He is a graduate of Columbus East High School and holds a Criminal Justice degree from IUPUI and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from IUPUC. He has been a D.A.R.E. Instructor since 2018.
Deputy Medina began his career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Merit Deputy in 2022. He completed the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy as an honor graduate & has over 10 years of experience working with youth and young adults in a variety of different capacities. He became a DARE officer in 2023.
Deputy Burkholder began his career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Merit Deputy in 2022. Prior to his service with BCSO, Burkholder served as a 911 Dispatcher for the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center and a Corrections Officer. Deputy Burkholder is a graduate of Columbus North High School, and holds a Criminal Justice degree from Ivy Tech Community College.
Sheriff's Youth Academy
The Sheriff’s Youth Academy was started in 2015, under Sheriff Matt Myers. This academy was designed by law enforcement professionals, to provide children with a real understanding of the law enforcement experience. The Youth Academy provides Bartholomew County’s youth with a unique opportunity to focus on strengthening their life skills of self-respect, respect of others, teamwork and commitment to achieving their goals. This program also strengthens the bond between our youth and law enforcement.
Road Division: Specialized Units
Road Division: Specialized Units
Accident Investigations
The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office has a crash reconstruction team consisting of three deputies trained by the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM). Our team currently uses state-of-the-art Trimble equipment, making our department stand out with advanced technology for scene documentation.
Field Training Officers
| The Field Training Officer Program (FTO) is designed to provide on-the-job training for all new deputies. Even deputies with experience from another department are required to complete the FTO program. The program offers training on all aspects of law enforcement, some that may be unique to Bartholomew County. The program is comprised of three phases that build upon each other. Not everyone is qualified to become an FTO, deputies that have a good foundation and have demonstrated a mastery of skills and knowledge of the job, coupled with the ability to mentor and teach are chosen for this extremely important role at our agency. Our agency currently has five certified Field Training Officers. |  |
Honor Guard
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard is comprised of a select number of uniformed officers from different divisions within the agency. These uniformed officers are a reflection of the agency and represent the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office at police funerals, public events, and memorial services throughout the state of Indiana.
K9
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office has utilized police dogs for over 30 years. The Sheriff’s Office first canine team was Pete Ivy and a German Shepherd named Heiko. Since then, there have been nine K-9 teams at the department. Currently the department has 2 canine teams. The K-9 unit plays a vital role in keeping our community safe. Our K-9’s are dual purpose police dogs and are trained in narcotics detection, building search, article/evidence recovery, handler protection and apprehension.
|
|
|
| BCSO K-9 Jari | BCSO K-9 Frizko |
Negotiators
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team consists of 2 deputies, who assist the Columbus Police Department. These deputies have undergone specialized training in communication with subjects in stressed induced situations. A negotiators main goal is to bring about a non-violent ending to a crisis situation. A negotiator is often asked to intervene in suicide attempts, barricaded subjects, domestic violence incidents as well as hostage situations. These members maintain 24/7 responsibility for the team while fulfilling their full time duties within the Sheriff’s Office.
Drone Unit
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office Drone Team consists of (7) drone pilots/Captains. The Drone Unit has a variety of public safety missions, including locating missing people, locating suspects avoiding apprehension, photographing collision and crimes scenes with an aerial view, and other various public safety goals.
SWAT
| The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office joined forces with the Columbus Police Department to form a joint Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) in 2016. There are currently six members of the department dedicated to SWAT. The SWAT team operators train multiple times per month in areas including high risk warrant execution, hostage rescue, barricaded subjects, and open area searches. The SWAT team also has officers specially trained in breaching, chemical/less than lethal tactics, and Sniper applications. |  |
DIVE and Water Rescue
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office formed a dive and water rescue team in 1992. The deputies assigned to this unit are on call 24/7. There are currently 12 deputies assigned to the unit with three of them being assigned as divers. The BCSO Water Rescue/Dive Unit utilizes inflatable boats, air boats and other specialized equipment.
School Resource Officer (SRO)
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Program has a long-standing relationship with the Bartholomew Counsolidated School Corporation (BCSC) and Flat Rock- Hawcreek School Corporation. Beginning in 2019, a deputy from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office has been assigned to each of the school districts as their full time assignment to meet the needs of the students, staff and visitors. These deputies handle a multitude of different functions within the school to provide a safe learning environment for the students and teachers and bridge the gap between law enforcement and our youth.
Jail
Bartholomew County Jail
Visiting Hours - Visiting hours are assigned by the cell that the inmate is assigned to. These can change if the inmate is moved by their own request or for other reasons. Additionally, visitors can schedule a visitation through HomeWav and come to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday or Sunday on from 0700-2200 hours for visitation hours.
Bonds - Cash bonds are accepted at the Clerk’s Office Monday – Friday between the hours of 8 AM – 5 PM. After 5pm bonds are paid at the jail. We accept cash and credit card bonds at the jail.
To find out if someone is in jail, please call: 812-379-1750 option #2
Property - Property is no longer accepted. All clothing and inmate footwear can be purchased off of commissary.
Jail Management Staff
 |
Tyler Stillabower, Captain – Corrections Division Tyler Stillabower is a graduate of Jennings County High School. He started his law enforcement career with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 2008. Since that time, Captain Stillabower has served the Corrections Division as a Field Training Officer, Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain. In his position as Captain of Corrections, of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Captain Stillabower oversees personnel, manpower scheduling and other duties of the division. Captain Stillabower resides in Jennings County with his wife and their children. |
 |
Kaleigh Morey, Lt. – Corrections Division Kaleigh Morey is a graduate of Columbus East High School. She started her career with the department in 2011. Since that time, Lieutenant Morey has served the department as a corrections officer within the roles of Field Training Officer, Field Training Coordinator, Sergeant and now Lieutenant. In her position as Lieutenant of Corrections of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Lieutenant Morey oversees the day-to-day operations of the division. Lieutenant Morey resides in Bartholomew County with her husband and child. |
Courthouse Security
Courthouse Security
The Bartholomew County Courthouse has a team of dedicated officers that are assigned to each of the three major courtrooms, conduct security checks at the front entrance, patrols the courthouse halls and other law enforcement functions. These officers fall under the Correctional Officers section of our department, but are their own separate entity.
Sheriff Sale
Sheriff Sale
SRI is now conducting the Bartholomew County Sheriff Sales.
For Sheriff Sale Information, please click on the SRI Link.
Each Bartholomew County Sheriff Sale is held at 543 Second Street, Columbus, Indiana on the first Tuesday of each month at 1000 am unless posted otherwise on the SRI Link.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW CURRENT SHERIFF SALE INFORMATION
Letter To Citizens
Dear Citizens,
A number of you have recently reached out with questions and concerns regarding the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office policies, procedures, and training. We appreciate and understand your concerns. In an effort to respond quickly, we are providing the following information, which addresses the questions and concerns raised.
- The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office conducts a very structured hiring process beginning with a written test administered and graded by a third party company, a physical fitness test, a command staff interview, Merit Board interview and interview with the Sheriff. Applicants are also subject to a very detailed background investigation on every Deputy prior to hiring. This includes a psychological and polygraph examination. Those tests cover any history of illegal activity including abuse, racism, and discrimination.
- The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy conducts the initial training for most Bartholomew County Deputies. They receive 15 weeks of intensive law enforcement training that includes the use of de-escalation and advanced communication skills. After successful completion of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, Deputies complete our department’s Field Officer Training program. This 16-week training allows them to use the skills they learned at the academy while being monitored by our field-training officers. It is during this time that our department evaluates those communication and conflict resolution skills. We place a great deal of emphasis on the utilization of these skills. Verbal commands and officer presence are the first measure used to gain control of a situation.
- The use of excessive force is never an option that would be acceptable. Our Deputies are prohibited from using excessive force. Deputies are trained to use the minimal amount of force necessary to resolve the situation. The amount of force necessary, but never beyond that level. Once compliance is gained, the use of force is no longer authorized.
- Chokeholds of any type are considered a use of deadly force and would only be acceptable when deadly force was justified. We do not train Deputies in the use of any type of chokehold.
- As a part of their regular continued professional training, Deputies receive instruction on de-escalation techniques during use of force encounters.
- Our policy mandates that the only time that a Deputy may shoot at a moving vehicle is when deadly force is justified.
- Verbal commands are encouraged when applicable and we continually train on their use in all situations where force becomes necessary. The Deputy must report any use of force immediately to his/her supervisor. The Deputy then completes a Use of Force report that is reviewed by his or her supervisor, the applicable Psycho Motor Skills instructor, the patrol captain and the chief deputy. These reports allow us to determine if the use of force was objectively reasonable and to monitor the number of times our officers use force to control a situation.
- The State of Indiana mandates that law enforcement officers receive at least 24 hours of training each year. At the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, our Deputies average 112 hours of training per year. Since 2015 we have trained annually in cultural diversity, use of force, and how we respond to calls with a higher risk for use of force. Several of our Deputies have attended Leadership Bartholomew County and Diversity Circle hosted by IUPUC. Below I have listed the training that we have received since January 1st of 2015. We also receive numerous other trainings annually but these are the ones that relate to current national events.
- Police One Academy – Cultural Awareness and Diversity Overview
- Police One Academy – Anti-Bias for Law Enforcement
- Police One Academy – Responding to People with Mental Illness
- Civil Unrest
- Police One Academy – Ethics in Law Enforcement
- Verbal Judo
- Gracie Survival Tactics
- Use of Force Policy Review
- Responding to Veterans in Crisis
- Understanding and Responding to Excited Delirium
- Indiana State Police Course – Cultural Diversity
- Reasonableness in Use of Force
Chris Lane
Chris Lane, Sheriff
Bartholomew County, Indiana
News
|
2023 100 DAY REPORT April 7, 2023 Loading... |
|
|
____________________________________________________________________________________________
|
|
FAQ
What are visiting hours for inmates?
Saturday and Sunday on HomeWav from 0700-2200 hours
What do family members need to visit?
Have account with HomeWav and schedule a visit online with inmates. They will visit in the lobby of the jail on the mobile HomeWav stations. Each station is assigned to a particular person. 4 stations total.
What are the restrictions? i.e. age, time limits, etc..
30 minute visits. Seg must be during inmate hour out. No age limit for visitation, however the account holder must be at least 18 years of age
How do families send money to inmates?
For food – Use accesscorrections.com; use the cask kiosk in the lobby of the department or call 866-345-1884
For writing letters or sending mail - Use accesscorrections.com; use the cask kiosk in the lobby of the department or call 866-345-8664
For phone calls – Create a HomeWav account and upload funds using a credit or debit card
What is accepted at the jail for inmates and where does a family member take it?
Trial clothing, prescription medication/glasses/contacts, wedding rings and religious necklaces. These may be dropped on in the front lobby. If it is not accepted how does an inmate get these items? Inmates may purchase items on commissary.
Trial clothing?
Accepted upon approval from a member of leadership team. Placed within the property room with inmate’s name.
Family pictures?
We do not accept these items. Families will have to utilize the Earth Class Mail instructions/policy to send in photos. The inmates can view these digitally utilizing the HomeWav kiosk within the blocks.
Books?
Books are not accepted. The jail provides a library of books, which the inmates get the opportunity of receiving weekly. Books get donated to the jail by the public library and other approved donors.
Where do family members send letters, pictures, cards/drawings from their children? Families can send mail by addressing it using the below example:
Facility Name (Bartholomew County Jail)
Inmate Name – Inmate System ID Number
PO Box 1042 PMB #39193
San Antonio, TX 78294-1042
Restrictions to what can be sent? Earth class mail will not accept the following:
Books
Magazines
Catalogs
Advertising Mailers
Junk Mail
Hire an Off Duty Deputy
Careers
SHERIFF DEPARTMENT CAREERS
Merit Deputy
Merit Deputy
Basic Requirements:
- Must be a United States Citizen.
- Must be at least 21 years old prior to the start of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy
- Vision must be correctable to 20/40.
- Must possess a valid driver’s license.
- Must be a graduate of an accredited High School or possess a GED.
- Must be willing to reside in Bartholomew County, or one of the surrounding counties within one-year of employment (Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Brown or Shelby County)
Hiring Process:
1) Apply for the position
2) Pass a written test with a score of at least 75%
3) Pass a physical fitness assessment at the ILEA Exit Standards:
a. Vertical Jump: 16 Inches
b. One Minute Sit-ups: 29
c. 300 Meter Run: 71 Seconds
d. Maximum Push-ups: 25
e. 1.5 mile run: 16 minutes 28 seconds
4) Pass a Peer Review board interview
5) Pass a Merit Board interview
6) Pass a Command Staff interview
7) Pass a background investigation
8) Pass a polygraph examination and drug screen
9) Pass a psychological examination
10) Successfully complete the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy
Want to be notified when we open a new process?
https://www.policeapp.com/Entry-Level-Bartholomew-County-Sheriff-IN-Police-Officer-Jobs/1366/
Questions?
|
|
Correctional Officers
Correctional Officers
Basic Requirements:
- Must be a United States Citizen.
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Vision must be correctable to 20/40.
- Must possess a valid driver’s license.
Hiring Process:
- Apply for the position
- Pass a Peer Review Board interview
- Pass a background investigation
- Pass a drug screen
- Successfully complete the Field Training Officer (FTO) Process
Questions?
Email:
Bobbie Shake is a graduate of Heritage Hills High School and Penn Foster College. Bobbie Joined the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 2023.
In her position as Sheriff’s Office Matron she is responsible for many duties, including; payroll, bookkeeping, management of the records division, and managing the budget – just to name a few!
Matron Shake resides in Bartholomew County with her husband, Jeremy and their two children.