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Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Activity Report 1.15.2016

During the week of Jan. 4-10 the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department has answered 95 Calls for Service and has arrested 12 subjects. There are currently 19 subjects incarcerated in the Douglas County Jail and one being held out of county.

On Monday, Jan. 4, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department assisted with Active Shooter Training at Ava Victory Academy.  Instructors, school staff, and deputies all continue to strive to keep our children safe.

On Wednesday, Jan. 6, Sheriff Degase and Deputy Taylor Wallace attempted a check on a probation client, Jesse Jennings, 24, in the Z Highway area, that had failed to make contact with his officer.

Previous attempts had been made by Probation and Parole to contact Jennings, and each time Jennings fled to avoid speaking with them resulting in a probation violation to be issued for Jennings.

Upon arrival by Sheriff Degase and Deputy Wallace they attempted to make contact. Sheriff Degase and Deputy Wallace could hear someone inside attempting to hide and called for them to come outside. Sheriff Degase secured the back of the residence with Deputy Wallace securing the front, while again calling for Jennings to come outside the residence.

Jennings appeared in a window near the back along with a female subject and a small child. The female and small child were advised to immediately exit the front of the residence, which they did.

After a short time Jennings also made his way out the front of the residence where he was placed under arrest.  Jennings is currently in the Douglas County Jail on a probation violation warrant and  charges are pending for possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) which was found on Jennings and inside the residence.

On Friday, Jan. 8, Sheriff Degase, Deputy Gabe Stroud, and K9 Yadi visited the Ava Elementary 3rd grade classes.

The 3rd grade classes had been reading about different kinds of helping animals, especially police dogs. They were able to give the 3rd graders a first-hand account of what Yadi does and his specific jobs at the Sheriff’s Department and helping other agencies.  Thank you to the 3rd grade teachers, students, and Ava Elementary administration for the opportunity for Yadi to come in and help with a little classroom learning.

Telephone scams, such as the IRS scam seem to be cropping up again.  We have several phone calls here at the office and a recent news story aired on television regarding this scam.

As always, do not give out any personal information over the phone. The IRS will not contact you by phone.  It will normally be by mail or via your tax preparer.

If you do have a warrant we will not contact you by phone, and most likely no other agency will either. These are generally scare tactics to get you to provide them with information that they can use in an attempt to get your money.

Any information given to these people can help  assist them in accessing a great deal of personal information that can cause you a great deal of problems in the future. If they leave a message on your phone, do not call back. Sometimes this can result in your phone line being charged without your knowledge. There are a few steps that you can take in order to keep yourself from being taken advantage of:

• Never give out personal information over the phone.

• If you make a mistake and give the caller information that you believe to be in any way compromising, call your bank and advise them to watch for any suspicious activity on your account.

Monitor your monthly bank statement and any online banking activity. Also monitor your credit report. Look for accounts opened in your name that were not authorized by you, or any other strange activity that you’re not familiar with or aware of.

If you notice anything strange or that does not match up with your information immediately call the reporting agency and file a dispute which will be investigated. If you receive information that indeed someone has fraudulently used your information or accessed your account bring your paperwork and any statements that you may have to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office where we will do our part to help your resolve this situation.

• Call 1-866-No Call or 1-(866-662-2551) to register your phone, cell phones included, on the Missouri No Call List established through the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

• If you are already registered and get a call like this, take down the number that is calling (if you have caller ID or off of your answering machine) and call 1-866-buzzoff or 1-(866-289-9633). This number will take you to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office who will be able to log the information and get that number on the No Call List.

• If the number persistently calls your residence you can block the number. On a land line phone you can block up to 12 numbers, including not available or not provided numbers. This can be done by dialing *60 on your phone and following the instructions.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact the office at 417-683-1020.

Sheriff Chris Degase