|
|
Patrol Division
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office provides patrol service to the citizens of St. Louis County. The patrol division is the largest division of the department.
- Call Response: Deputies respond to all calls for service within the county and perform a broad range of activities which include investigating crimes such as disturbances, domestic violence incidents, suspicious persons and vehicles; answering calls for assistance; responding to accidents; administering first aid to the injured; transporting prisoners and individuals with mental disorders. Deputies also serve civil papers and arrest warrants.
- Work Schedule: Patrol deputies work four days/twelve-hour shifts on a four days on, four days off rotation.
- Special Activities: In addition to their regular duty assignments, deputies also have opportunities to explore interests and develop new skills. These activities include such department-wide functions as: background investigations of potential deputy sheriff candidates; field training officers for newly hired deputies; Boat and Water Safety; snowmobile patrol; DWI saturation patrol; illegal drug investigation; arson investigation; and membership on the Emergency Response Team (ERT).
| Area | Duty Stations | Contract Cities | ERT Team | Field Training | Due to the size of the county, the Sheriff’s Office is divided into three major regional sheriff’s offices:
- Duluth Sheriff’s Office, where the Sheriff and Undersheriff are located, provides law enforcement services to the southern part of St. Louis County
- Virginia Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services for the northeastern part of St. Louis County.
|
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office maintains an office in Ely, MN. This office houses three deputies who provide law enforcement services for the Ely community. Their patrol area encompasses approximately 200 square miles of rural and lake properties. Deputies in this duty station are often called upon to work overtime.
Outlying duty stations in Cook, Orr, and Kabetogama - The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office also has outlying duty stations in Cook, Orr, and Kabetogama. They cover approximately 1800 square miles, composed primarily of wilderness area, with the major population areas being Cook, Orr, Crane Lake, the Lake Kabetogama area, the Lake Vermilion (West End) area, and a variety of other small residential areas scattered throughout the region. The patrol area includes Voyageurs National Park and a portion of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Patrol is done by motor vehicle, snowmobile, and boat in this area. Three full time positions and a seasonal summer position for the Kabetogama area provide law enforcement services for this area. |
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services on a contractual basis for the cities of Aurora, Mountain Iron, Buhl and Kinney. The Sheriff's Office receives payment for patrol coverage and associated costs for this additional service and staffing requirements.
- City of Aurora - The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services for the community of Aurora. The Aurora Sheriff’s Office consists of one Sergeant and five deputies. Their patrol area encompasses a 4-mile radius of the City of Aurora, but deputies also provide immediate response to any emergency outside of Aurora, when required. The patrol area is approximately 16 square miles.
-
City of Mountain Iron - The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services for the community of Mountain Iron. The Mountain Iron Sheriff’s Office consists of one Sergeant and five deputies and their patrol area is approximately 52 square miles.
-
City of Tower - The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services for the city of Tower.
|
| The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team (ERT) has 40 plus members who respond to various “high-risk” situations throughout the County. The Emergency Response Team was formed in 1985 and is one of the most active teams north of the Metro area.
The primary duties of the Emergency Response Team are:
- Respond to situations involving barricaded and dangerout suspects.
- Execute dangerous and high risk arrest or search warrants.
- Crowd Control/Riot and civil protests involving mass arrests.
- Situations where the use of chemical agents are required.
- Provide security for Dignitary protection.
- Respond to Hostage situations.
The Emergency Response Team is on call 365 days a year for not only St. Louis County, but any jurisdiction in the seven county “Arrowhead” area of Northeastern Minnesota. The Emergency Response Team has been deployed for many outside agency assists including Police Departments, Sheriff’s Offices, State Agencies, and Federal Agencies.
|
|
|
|
|
Clan Lab Entry Team Training
|
Rappel Training
|
ERT Training with Canine
|
Each member of the team has highly specialized training in many areas of expertise, and the team trains on a monthly basis. Each member must complete a certified, basic SWAT training course. Additionally, the team trains with numerous other teams throughout the state. Members are voted onto the team by existing team members.
The Emergency Response Team is organized into several sub-teams. These include, snipers, chemical agents teams, scout teams, hostage negotiation teams, entry teams, and command.
In addition, there are other, more specialized team assignments. This would include the Meth Lab Entry Team, and the Emergency Response Team Medical Staff. The Medics are supplied through a mutual aid agreement with the City of Virginia and the Fire Department. The Medics are Paramedics and carry Advanced Life Support at all times. The Medics train in all aspects of the team. The Emergency Response Team also employs a licensed psychologist for various functions.
The team possesses state of the art equipment, vehicles, and weaponry, and has successfully resolved the worst and most dangerous incidents in St. Louis County for over twenty years. |
The Administrative Division coordinates training for newly hired deputies. Deputy sheriff candidates participate in a 6-week field training academy which focuses on such areas as firearms qualification, use of force, emergency vehicle operations, report writing, accident investigation, defensive tactics, first aid, and specialized investigative techniques. The academy includes a mix of classroom and hands-on practical exercises.
Following the academy, which is held at various locations within St. Louis County, deputies begin an aggressive 13 week (approximate) field-training program. The new deputies are paired with a field training officer and begin working in a squad car. There the new deputies apply the skills and concepts learned in the field training academy to actual real-world scenarios and must demonstrate an acceptable level of competency before being allowed to work independently. |
|
| |
|
|
|