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   As we close out 2024 and move into 2025, our Office reviews data and statics from the previous year as we plan to serve our communities in 2025. In the January edition of Sheriff’s Corner, we take the opportunity to highlight key events from the previous year and preview the data being processed for our Annual Report. This report will be assembled and presented in the coming months to the Cass County Board of Commissioners, published on our website, and shared with townships and municipalities throughout the county. 

   In 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office handled 19,198 Calls for Service (CFS). This metric is our primary method to document and monitor activity reported to our Dispatch Center in a variety of formats. There are a variety of calls for service that our dispatch center receives that require some sort of action, whether it be from a Sheriff’s Deputy, a Local Police Department, an Ambulance or Fire Department. These also include self-initiated responses from officers and reports made to track activity and investigations. Each incident that is reported to us, that is self-initiated, or that we come across, begins with a CFS number. This number tracks the case’s progress through our management system and, if necessary, the court process. This number is used to track its status through our tracking and case management system and can follow the event all the way through the court process if it is involved. This figure represents a slight decrease from the 19,442 calls for service handled in 2023, continuing a post-COVID trend.

   It terms of serious incidents, notably and sadly, the occurrence of fatal crashes was up, with 8 incidents resulting in 10 fatal injuries occurring, with 102 injury crashes resulting in 150 persons injured. The total crashes involving commercial vehicles was 17, and 5 crashes were in a work zone. In addition, 176 property damage crashes occurred. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports that traffic fatalities in Minnesota have risen this past year, despite a decrease in driving deaths nationwide. This is consistent with what we saw in Cass County in 2024 and significantly different from 2023 when only one fatal crash was reported. On a positive note, in 2024 we did not report any ATV fatalities and ATV crash with injury was slightly up from 2023 but down from many previous years. 

   At our Detention Center in Walker, 960 inmates were booked in 2024, continuing a downward trend. The average daily booking has been at 3 inmates per day with a daily total population in Walker of 9 inmates, averaging 7 male and 2 female, with the remainder being held for the first half of the year in Crow Wing County and the second half of 2024 with our new inmate housing contract at the Itasca County Jail in Grand Rapids, with an average of 25 inmates being housed out-of-County .

   The Recreation Division held its annual Boat and Water Safety Training course with collaborating school districts, training and certifying approximately 255 5th and 6th graders in Boat and Water safety. Over the last several years we have seen a significant benefit to these training and education opportunities, as the number of boat and water incidents has been declining. Deputies had a new tool this year with the Cass County ATV ordinance that was passed in May by the Cass County Board of Commissioners. The ordinance streamlines where ATVs, both Class I and II, can be operated. Deputies spent a significant amount of time returning phone calls, answering questions, and educating people in the field on the new ordinance and operation rules.  Once again, Intensive high visibility patrols were conducted in high traffic areas on known busy weekends and holidays this past year. While still providing education, hundreds of contacts were made and verbal warnings and citations were issued. We assisted with 4 ATV Safety Training courses and enforcement efforts have definitely proven to be beneficial. 

   As we close out the calendar year 2024, Cass County Drug Investigations have led to numerous cases and arrests. In total: 

• 10 firearms were seized

• $2,588.00 in US Currency has also been seized

• 24 drug-related arrests occurred

• Seized Drugs include:

• 3,135 grams of methamphetamine (street 

value $194,370.00). 

•  371 grams of cocaine (street value $33,390.00). 

• 430 grams of psilocybin mushrooms 

($13,330.00) 

• 188 grams of fentanyl (street value $25,380) 

• Currently, we have two individuals with federal indictments involved in weapon and narcotic possessions. 

   Most investigations start with a tip from the public. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office encourages you to report suspected drug or other crime-related information to the Sheriff’s Office. You can request to speak to the Investigation staff and you can remain anonymous. You can also report tips and information online through Crime Stoppers of MN through their website portal at: http://crimestoppersmn.org

   Our Emergency Management Coordinator has been busy with Preliminary Damage Assessment Training. Emergency management has also been preparing for and hosting several trainings and exercises in 2024 in preparation for a full-scale hazmat and sheltering exercise scheduled for spring of 2025. 

   In 2024, Emergency Management drones were used a total of 24 times. 

   • 7 times during emergencies involving risks to life. 

   • 2 times to collect information from a public area as there was reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. 

   • 13 times over a public area for officer training or public relations purposes. 

   • 2 times for purposes unrelated to law enforcement at the request of a government entity.

   This is just a brief glimpse into the operations of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office in 2024, as we gather data and build our Annual Report many more factors will be summarized and put together and published in our Annual Report available on our County website at https://www.casscountymn.gov/1450/Newsroom

   If you have specific questions that you would like answered in this column or in person, please feel free to contact me anytime using one of the following methods:

Email: 

[email protected]

Phone: 

218-547-1424 | 1-800-450-2677

By Mail/In Person:

Cass County Sheriff’s Office

303 Minnesota Ave W

PO Box 1119

 Walker MN 56484

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