Sometime during the last 30 days, suspect(s) unknown stole an 8 foot wooden giraffe from the yard of a River Front Subdivision residence, south of Jackson.  If you’ve seen the carved giraffe yard ornament, or know who purloined same, please call the sheriff’s office at 733-2331.

Over the last couple of weeks, there has been media attention given to the issue of bicyclists who are arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).  One of the reasons I like having a website is so matters such as these can be communicated effectively.   

A couple of weeks ago, at around 1:00 in the morning, Deputy Aaron Dunlap had occasion to pull over a bicyclist who was operating the bicycle without a front light.  Pursuant to that stop, Deputy Dunlap arrested the bicyclist for DUI.  This arrest provided me with a great opportunity to look at the DUI law as it pertains to bicycles, and then to formulate a philosophical approach to the issue. 

The law absolutely allows for a person to be arrested for DUI if they are operating the bicycle under the influence.  Therefore, I wholeheartedly and fully supported the arrest.  I also thought I should take a look at the matter from a global public safety perspective as well. By that I mean, would I rather a person who is under the influence ride a bike or drive a car, and is there a public safety distinction to be made?  

To me, it is obvious that if an inebriated person had to choose between a car and a bicycle, I would rather they pick the bicycle because they pose less of a risk to the public. This is not to say they do not pose a public safety risk while on a bike, they just pose a lesser one. Of course I would prefer they take a taxi, a designated driver or call a friend to pick them up.

In thinking this issue through, I thought if we arrested people for DUI on bicycles on every occasion, the unintended consequence of that might be that we create a disincentive for them to take the bike over the car, thereby possibly exacerbating the public safety problem. 

Secondly, I found it troubling the DUI law covers “any vehicle” which includes a bicycle, but the implied consent law covers (only) motor vehicles which excludes bicycles. It made little sense to me that on the one hand a person could get arrested for DUI riding a bicycle but the method to secure the blood alcohol concentration was changed.

By no means should this present the message I am adamantly opposed to arresting a bicyclist for DUI.   Sometimes, arresting for DUI could very well be the appropriate charge.  To me it would depend on the circumstances.  People who are creating a severe hazard by riding all over the road would certainly be one example. A bicyclist crashing into a parked car would be another one.  The totality of the circumstances in terms of public safety should be our guiding principle. 

The Teton County Sheriff's Office has made trailhead parking areas safe again. Responding to reports of numerous thefts from unlocked vehicles parked at local trailheads, deputies launched an extensive investigation giving up days off and enduring wet, cold weather.  According to Detective Sergeant Slade Ross, "detectives spent most of two weeks in the rain and sleet conducting multiple surveillances while hiding in area foliage".   During one of those surveillances at Emily Stevens Pond, detectives watched as one of the suspects got out of his truck and began to check for unlocked vehicles.  Before he actually entered a car, a highway patrol trooper inadvertently entered the parking area scaring the suspect away.

 At the conclusion of the investigation, deputies arrested 17 year-old Kyle Davidson who has been charged as an adult with felony burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.  Additional felony charges are pending for two other area men.  Admissions gained in the investigation reveal there are additional thefts which have yet to be reported.

If you have any information about these crimes or other crimes affecting our wonderful county, please contact the Teton County Sheriff's Office at 307-733-4052 and ask for Detective Sergeant Slade Ross. If you have an emergency, please dial 911.     

Teton County Search and Rescue Breaks Ground on Critical Facility

On Monday, May 24th Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) broke ground on their new equipment storage facility, aircraft hanger and helipad.  The 7,500 square foot facility located just off of the Y intersection will house all of TCSAR's equipment, provide much needed storage space and allow rescuers to quickly reach high needs areas including Teton Pass and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.  "The facility is a culmination of ten years of work searching for the ideal space and raising funds to allow this to happen. We'll finally have a space that makes all of our equipment accessible throughout the year; necessary for responding to rescues as quickly as possible", stated Tim Ciocarlan, TCSAR director. 

The TCSAR building not only includes rescue equipment storage, but will also include a hanger and heated helipad for the Teton County contract helicopter used to aid rescuers during the winter months.  Currently, TCSAR members must drive up to the Jackson Hole airport to retrieve the helicopter costing rescuers critical minutes during avalanche scenarios.   

The building is designed to accommodate an additional 2,500 square foot classroom and training facility but due to budget constraints has been postponed.  This space will be essential to complete in the near future to ensure all TCSAR members are trained adequately.  

Funding for the Search and Rescue Facility has been acquired through various grants and generous donations including: Wyoming State Lands and Investment Board grant, Wyoming Department of Transportation Aviation grant, The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, The Annenberg Foundation, and many individual donations from friends of Search and Rescue.  "We are so fortunate to have such amazing supporters throughout Teton County and nation wide, we couldn't have gotten to this place without our generous friends", said Brendan McDermott, TCSAR volunteer.  For more information about the building, please visit us at www.tetoncountysar.org

The Teton County Sheriff's Office is celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunications Week!  This week, celebrated nationally, honors the thousands of men and women who answer emergency calls, dispatch first responders and equipment and render life-saving assistance to those in need. 

Please join us as we celebrate this event locally with open house tours of our Communications Center.  Tours will be offered Monday and Wednesday April 12^th and 14^th from 8 - 10am, noon - 1pm, and an additional tour will be offered on Wednesday evening from 5 - 7pm.  The Communications Center is located in the same building as the jail at 175 S Willow St. Parking is available on the street or in the lot between the jail and the courthouse. Please come and meet the people who operate behind the scenes to keep you safe.  For more information please call 733-2331.

The Teton County Sherriff's Office was recently invited by the National Sheriff's Association (NSA) to attend a planning session on Comprehensive Emergency Planning for detention centers. The session was held in Baltimore, Maryland. The TCSO considered it an honor to be invited to participate in the planning session as there were only twenty agencies from around the nation invited to attend the session and the NSA funded the entire costs and travel expenses for two TCSO officers.  Detention Sergeants Troy Sutton and Clint Frome traveled to Baltimore to attend the training session.  The purpose of the session was for each agency in attendance to share their policies and procedures and experience in emergency planning to further assist the NSA in the development of a comprehensive emergency planning course and curriculum. The NSA then plans to train other jails around the country in emergency planning based on information learned from the participating agencies.

The TCSO currently has an Emergency Evacuation Plan in place and is planning to take information learned from other participants at the planning session and incorporate such into the existing plan. Quarterly fire drills are preformed by all employees and evaluated for safety and security measures by one of the two OSHA trained detention officers. An unannounced mock fire is planned and administered by the Support Captain once per year inside of the Detention Center. During this drill the entire Detention Center and Communications Center evacuate the building to another facility.  The Communications Center operates out of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for a brief period of time until the "all clear" is giving by the fire department and they are able to return to the building. During the drill all area Law Enforcement officers respond to the detention center to help facilitate a safe transition of inmates to and from the facility. All personnel are evaluated during the evacuation and an After Accident Review (AAR) is held immediately following the surprise drill for all employees involved, Command Staff, and the Fire Department.

Support Captain Tripp Wilson implemented the current policies and procedures relating to the Emergency Plan/Evacuation Procedure and believes that these actions are necessary to ensure public, employee, and inmate safety in the event of an actual fire, gas leak, natural disaster, etc. Since the evacuation plan has been in place, the Detention Center has evacuated once for a "non drill" emergency after a vehicle collided with the building near a gas line. During this emergency, the staff performed a well run evacuation of the inmate population and the communications center successfully "rolled over" all services to the Emergency Communications Center in the EOC. The success of this was a direct result of the procedures in place for such an emergency and the focus the staff has shown during the training and mock evacuation drills.

On Tuesday, March 16, 2010, at 1:46 p.m., the Teton County Sheriff's Office received a call from a man reporting an automobile burglary at the Teton Canyon trailhead in Alta, Wyoming. The Teton County Sheriff's Office in Idaho was requested to assist, as it was reported that the suspect was still in the area.

 Upon arrival of law enforcement, 51 year old Patrick Riley of Idaho was detained for investigation. After an on scene investigation, Riley was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. A subsequent search of his vehicle resulted in stolen property being recovered from the reported automobile burglary.

 Riley was booked into the Teton County Jail without incident. The matter remains under a cooperative investigation between the Teton County Sheriff's Office in Wyoming and the Teton County Sheriff's Office in Idaho.

 Contact: Sergeant Tom Combs

The Teton County Sheriff’s Office is seeking help in identifying a possible witness to a theft at a hotel in Teton Village.  If anyone knows the identity of the person in the attached video, please call Deputy John LaBrec at 307-733-4052.

<sup>Three local men have been arrested following a cooperative investigation by the Teton County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson Police Department into a series of vehicle burglaries.  Felony charge combinations include vehicle burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and accessory.

The first to be arrested was 20 year old Kevin Anthony Petersen.  Petersen was arrested on January 14, 2010 for his role in a December vehicle burglary occurring on South Highway 89.

On January 20th, Sgt. Tom Combs of the Teton County Sheriff’s Office secured an arrest warrant charging 23 year old Joseph Jacob Scheller with vehicle burglary and conspiracy to attempt vehicle burglary.  These charges stem from a series of vehicle burglaries occurring near Hoback Junction.  Scheller was arrested Wednesday afternoon by the Nebraska Highway Patrol after he fled Wyoming.
The third suspect, 19 year old Lee Andrew Rollman was arrested on the evening of January 20th for conspiracy to commit burglary and accessory to burglary.
This investigation is continuing and further arrests and charges are anticipated.

Contact:
Captain Scott B. Terry
Teton County Sheriffs Office
180 South King Street
P.O. Box 1885
Jackson, WY 83001
307.733.4052</sup>