Welcome to the Teton County Sheriff’s Office  Website!   Whether you are interested in joining our team, visiting our area, or just surfing the net, I hope this website is helpful to you.  We have endeavored to make it as user friendly as possible; so sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know a little more about us. 

Jim Whalen
Sheriff

Our Mission Statement
 
It is the mission of the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with our community, to preserve the peace, seek justice, embrace our roles as public servants and strive to provide a safe environment for all.  We will accomplish this through our commitment to the values of integrity, fairness, compassion, CUSTOMER SERVICE and excellence, forever upholding the constitutional rights of all people.              

Oath of Honor     

Honor, integrity and respect will never be betrayed.  I will always hold myself and others accountable for having the courage to do the right thing.

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.