Sheriff's Office 2024 Annual Report

Sheriff's Office 2024 Annual Report

To view each section in the annual report, please click on the title below.

Note from Sheriff Torgerson

Welcome to our 2024 Annual Report. The year 2024 completes a year of change, adaptation, and looking back at our past and into the future. Believe it or not the coming year completes the 170th year of our organization. It was in 1855 that R.H. McReady became the first Sheriff of Olmsted County, three years before Minnesota became a state in 1858. Since then, our Office has been led by 26 Sheriffs and grown from one Sheriff, to a Sheriff and four deputies in the 1950’s, and today we have 197 staff serving Olmsted County.

Two big changes and adaptations have impacted our office this year. On the enforcement side, it was the first full year of marijuana legalization in Minnesota. We’ll continue to track the impacts in this report and in the future. The other was the transition to a new body camera system that met and exceeded the capacity of our previous system and links us to the County Attorney’s Office more efficiently.

Looking back, we have been peering into our history as we look forward at the same time. The coming year will bring a cosmetic change when we complete the creation of a new badge, patch and logo. This is a response from the previous Minnesota legislature changing the seal of our State that was previously in our badge, patch, and all logos. In doing so we have studied many options to help symbolize our office. We’ve looked at history, what best describes our Office, and makes us unique to our neighboring agencies as well as across the state and country.  We are closing in on the new look very soon. Stay tuned to our social media for updates later this year. 

Our mission is to continue serving our communities to the best of our judgment and abilities. And ultimately make Olmsted County safer and an ideal place to live, work, and raise a family.

Our Mission and Who We Are

Mission Statement: “To provide quality services that promote and protect the well-being, safety, and security of all people in our community.”

Who We Are: With 164,784 citizens, Olmsted County ranks seventh in population size among Minnesota counties with the third-largest city in the State; Rochester. Olmsted County consists of 18 townships and eight cities, for a total area of 653 square miles.

The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) consists of 197 dedicated employees led by Sheriff Kevin Torgerson. OCSO is divided into the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) and the Adult Detention Center (ADC). Approximately 99 staff work in the Adult Detention Center (ADC), and 98 work in the Law Enforcement Center (LEC).

OCSO is a full-service law enforcement agency responsible for calls for service, investigation of crimes, crime prevention, public education, warrants service, and civil process in Olmsted County, in the unincorporated areas of Olmsted County. OCSO also provides contract law enforcement to Byron, Dover, Eyota, Oronoco, and Stewartville, Minnesota.

The ADC is responsible for the detention of adult prisoners including pre-sentenced, sentenced, boarders and work release. The ADC offers educational, recreational, and religious programming for detainees. The LEC and ADC work together to deliver excellent service within our community.

Law Enforcement Center (LEC)

The Law Enforcement Center (LEC) side of the Sheriff’s Office consists of 83 licensed deputies and 16 support personnel. The divisions of the LEC include: Patrol, Administrative Services, Staff Training and Emergency Management, Civil and Warrants, Investigations, Government Center Security and Transport, and SE MN Violent Crimes Enforcement Team.

Patrol

Deputies provide 24-hour coverage and take pride in providing effective, efficient, and fair law enforcement when persons who live and travel throughout Olmsted County need assistance. Additionally, Patrol is responsible for responding to calls for service, traffic enforcement, and general law enforcement operations in the county. Many deputies in the Patrol Division are trained in various aspects of service, including joint teams with the Rochester Police Department on the K9 Team, Emergency Response Unit, Forensic Mapping Unit, Project Lifesaver (At-Risk Individual Search Team), and the Crisis Intervention Team. Other capacities of expertise in training include Handgun, Rifle and Shotgun instructors, Use of Force instructors, D.A.R.E. instructors, Field Training Officers, Intoxilyzer Operators, Drug Recognition Experts, and the Honor Guard.

Civil and Warrants

The Civil and Warrants Division is a combined unit in the Sheriff’s Office that is responsible for serving court-ordered documents, civil papers, and arrest warrants for wanted persons in Olmsted County and beyond. 

Our Civil/Warrants Division served a total of 3,553 civil papers in 2024.  Some of the high number of paper service types to include Subpoenas (1009), Summons and Complaints (464), Commitment/Revocations (330), Child Support (272), Order for Protection (228) and Harassment Restraining Orders (237).  The remaining civil paper numbers are spread over 34 additional types.

Government Center Security

The Government Center Security Division provides security for the Olmsted County Government Center. The Division is made up of deputies that staff the Screening Station on the Second floor, provide armed security in District Courtrooms, and arrest offenders that arrive at the Government Center.

Fun Fact: In 2024, weapon screening deputies screened approximately 63,910 individuals compared to 58,146 in 2023. They also screened 69,988 bin/bags and seized 285 items. Pictured is a sample of weapons seized at the 2nd floor Security Screening station in 2024. The Sheriff’s Office takes the task of building security very seriously, and it obviously pays off. To keep items like these out of our hallways, courtrooms and offices makes it a safer place for everyone.

Administrative Services

The Administrative Services Division is responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating support services for the Sheriff’s Office to help it run effectively. This includes organizing Deputy Sheriff new hire testing, promotional exam testing, and hiring support services and clerical staff.

The division manages the Sheriff’s Office fleet vehicles, including squad car ordering and maintenance. It analyzes internal processes recommending and implementing procedural or policy changes. The division improves operations and ensures policy alignment with state and federal laws and standards as well as works on planning and coordinating budgets for contracts, equipment, and supplies. This includes vendor contracts for technologies currently used or considered by the Sheriff’s Office.

Keeping the Wheels Turning: OCSO’s two mechanics maintain a fleet of around 100 vehicles to include snowmobiles, boats and OHVs (Rangers) that are equipped for year-round utilization. In the next year, our mechanics are set to upfit over 20 squads including Chevrolet Tahoes, Ford Police Utility (Explorers) and mini vans for prisoner transport. 

Move to AXON Technology: OCSO is upgrading its body worn and fleet/squad camera system through a contract with AXON. These systems come with new 5G internet/ Wi-Fi routers and technologies that will assist deputies in performing their duties efficiently, effectively, and safely.

Online Communications: OCSO has a Media Development Specialist on staff who maintains our social media sites and webpages, assists with community outreach and recruitment, and works with our Public Information Officer (PIO) to assist with keeping the public up to date with current affairs and helping with OCSO’s commitment to transparency.

Investigations

The Investigations Division is responsible for follow-up investigations after a referral from the Patrol Division, including sex assault investigations, child abuse investigations, and vulnerable adult investigations. Additionally, most of the investigations conducted by our people are referred to us from Olmsted County Community Services, including Child Protection, Adult Protection, and Victim Services.

Investigation Case Numbers

	2022	2023	2024
Cases Assigned for Follow-Up/Closed Out	168	196	187
Cases Assigned to Investigations	196	193	220
Cases Referred	504	515	555

Southeast Minnesota Violent Crimes Enforcement Team

SEMVCET is a multijurisdictional narcotic and violent crime investigation unit comprised of law enforcement investigators from 8 counties and 6 cities in Southeast Minnesota.  The region benefits from this unit as personnel and resources are shared to conduct investigations that are often labor intensive and require advanced investigative techniques. During 2024, Investigators from SEMVCET conducted 334 investigations and obtained 198 search warrants for their investigations.

 

Transport

The Transport Division provides transportation services to individuals in custody on court orders, arrest warrants, or established legal authority.

Just How Many Transports?

	2022	2023	2024
Organization	Trips - Miles - Hours	Trips - Miles - Hours	Trips - Miles - Hours
ADC Medical Trips	79 - 148 - 157	100 - 256 - 178	105 - 413 - 212
City Writs	1 - 78 - 2	2 - 474 - 17	0 - 0 - 0
County Attorney Writs	75 - 13341 - 374	85 - 14803 - 451	101 - 17434 - 619
Detainees Housed Offsite	5 - 519 - 14	3 - 186 - 10	0 - 0 - 0
District Court Commitments	43 - 9191 - 299	45 - 9071 - 302	53 - 10473 - 619
Extraditions	10 - 4684 - 147	18 - 7404 - 267	16 - 4140 - 120
JDC Transports	6 - 1069 - 30	3 - 500 - 21	18 - 2762 - 99
NW Shuttle	8 - 1247 - 34	21 - 2362 - 72	15 - 2707 - 81
S.O. Warrants/Apps	197 - 26169 - 724	171 - 24193 - 686	227 - 28776 - 899
Social Services	33 - 5745 - 384	28 - 4779 - 164	26 - 4311 - 155
Total	457 - 62191 - 2165	476 - 64028 - 2168	561 - 71016 - 2541

Staff Training and Emergency Management (STEM) Division

The STEM Division is responsible for initial training of new hires, continuing education for all full-time licensed staff (83), and meeting all Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board education requirements for all staff. This division also coordinates our crime prevention and community engagement efforts, recreational safety and enforcement programs (boat, ATV, and snowmobile), Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and most extra duty assignments. Emergency Management staff in this division are charged with planning, training, and exercising for man-made and natural disasters. This includes continuous maintenance and updating our County’s Emergency Operations, Hazard Mitigation, and Continuity of Operations plans. Emergency Management staff assists all 8 communities in Olmsted County with their emergency management efforts and provides mutual aid assistance to 15 other Southeastern Minnesota counties. Emergency Management also coordinates the countywide Storm Spotter program and maintains and operates the 97 outdoor warning sirens utilized to warn the public during severe weather and other emergencies throughout Olmsted County.

How much training do Sheriff’s Office Deputies complete?

	2022	2023	2024
Total Deputy Hours of Training	8326	9886	9077
Percentage of Deputies CIT Certified	71%	81%	83%

The reduction in total training hours for 2024 was reflective of the number of staff completing online training courses through the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association Institute for Credible Leadership (ICLD). We also hired one less new Deputy in 2024 (3) than we did in 2023 (4), which accounts for another significant reduction in training hours. On average, each of our staff recorded 110 hours of training for 2024. We also continue to push toward 100% of our licensed deputies being certified in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and currently sit at 83%.

	2022	2023	2024
New Deputies Hired and Trained	10	4	3

How often does Olmsted County’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC) get utilized?

Emergency Management activated the EOC on sixteen (16) occasions in 2024. Twelve (12) of those activations were for severe weather events impacting Olmsted County. One (1) activation spanned multiple dates in response to the Presidential Disaster Declaration and State Disaster Declaration for the heavy rain and flooding events that occurred from June 17, 2024, through July 4, 2024. Two (2) activations were for pre-planned exercises. One (1) activation was for a pre-planned large community event that lasted one week; the Olmsted County Fair. Emergency Management staff either directed or participated in ten (10) exercises or workshops throughout 2024. Planning and participating in exercises and workshops help Olmsted County staff stay prepared and ready to respond to, and recover from, disasters that could affect Olmsted County.

	2022	2023	2024
EOC Activations	10	11	16

Sheriff Office Use of Force Statistics

Sheriff’s Office staff responded to 37,002 calls for service in 2024 (35,675 in 2023). Staff reported a use of force during fifty (50) of those 37,002 calls for service. Use of force is defined under Minnesota Statute as the reasonable display and/or use of a weapon system or use of physical force to affect an arrest of a person. Less lethal platforms such as a Taser®, Pepperball®, chemical agents, or other projectile that is less than lethal, and our firearms are all considered weapon systems. Of the 50 incidents where force was used, 34 of those included the actual use of approved body control (33) or striking (1) techniques. The remaining incidents (16) consisted of display of a weapon system only, with no actual use of those weapon systems. This means that force was applied in 0.091% of all calls for service during 2024. This is only a 0.002% increase from 2023 despite a 3.6% increase in total calls for service over that same time frame.

	2022	2023	2024
Use of Force Incidents	56	41	50

K9 Stories from 2024

2024 USPCA National Police Dog Trials

In October 2024, 5 K9 handler teams from the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) K9 Unit traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to obtain national certification and compete in the United States Police Canine Association National Police Dog Trials. The certification consists of obedience, evidence search, suspect search, and criminal apprehension. The national certification trials allow handlers from across the country to not only network with one another but compete and learn from some of the best canine handlers in the country. There are many retired handlers that attend and judge this event. Unfortunately, numbers were down this year due to the recent hurricanes along the east coast but there were still 65 handler/canine teams in attendance this year. The OCSO K9 Unit was again able to put a department team together.

To compete as a department team, there must be 4 handler/canine teams with the option of 1 alternate team. The OCSO K9 team included Corporal Kevin Schmidt/K9 Axel, Deputy Aviana Torkelson/K9 Ragnar, Deputy Nate Heeren/K9 Bruno, Deputy Kaine Kaase/K9 Athena, and alternate Corporal Nick Hiemer/K9 Zeus. The unit proudly placed 3rd overall as a department team. There were some notable individual performances as well. Deputy Heeren/K9 Bruno placed 3rd in Criminal Apprehension and 6th place overall. Corporal Schmidt/K9 Axel tied for 5th place in Obedience and were 19th overall. Deputy Kaase/K9 Athena tied for 5th place in Obedience.

The work put in by these handlers not only reflects their commitment to their duties as a K9 handler but also to the department and communities they serve and protect. A tremendous amount of time goes into preparation for this event and would not be possible without the support of our families, co-workers, administrators, and the Olmsted-Rochester Law Enforcement K9 foundation.

Fun Fact: In 2024 there were over 125 K9 deployments ranging from perimeter security, arrests, area/building searches, narcotic, and explosive searches.  On top of that, there were more than 50 public K9 demonstrations.

A Day in the Life: K9 Athena

A day in the life of K9 Athena is one that never lacks excitement, but I’ll take you back in time first and talk about her history. Athena is a 5-year-old Dutch Shepard/Belgian Malinois and she was born 10/10/2019. Athena’s lineage comes from Europe and Athena was born in Florida. When she was old enough to be weaned from her mother she started her adventure north, when she was a puppy, she was living with another K9 handler in Wisconsin until she was purchased and paired with me before attending St. Paul’s K9 school in February of 2021. It is funny because to this day I can still remember going to pick Athena up and we both just kind of stared at each other and it took me awhile to figure out if Athena actually liked me or just tolerated me because I was the one that fed her. Eventually it was apparent that Athena did like me, and she has pretty much been with me ever since. One of Athena’s favorite things to do is ride with me in my truck and she has gone on many road trips with me over the years. During Athena’s career we have been fortunate enough to move across the state and both Athena and I were hired as laterals with Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.

A day in the life of a K9 handler can consist of a lot of things. The day usually starts with letting Athena out of her kennel (either the outside or inside one) and throwing a toy around. This is one way to burn off some of her energy because Athena seems to have an endless supply of it. Usually when we are throwing a toy around there is not much structure to it, just letting her play, but I do mix in some of her verbal out command. After we have some play time she gets her first meal of the day. When she is about to get fed, I will have Athena perform some obedience. It could be a short session or up to about 30 minutes long. Then Athena will spend some time in one of her kennels and depending on if it’s a workday or not will dictate how much more work we do. Throughout the day there will be multiple times I let Athena out of her kennel to play or just run around. Unfortunately for Athena’s safety she is not able to free roam around our house unattended because she would eat it. If Athena is bored and has enough time to think she can turn just about any household item into a toy and chew it. So as a result, I just take her outside to play or let her play around in the fenced front yard. On the days we work, and Athena sees me getting ready and in full uniform she is noticeably excited and once she is able, she will run over to the squad car. Athena will basically run hot laps around my squad until I get over to it to let her into her kennel area in the back of the squad. Athena’s second meal will come later in the day and the time will depend on if we are at work or not. Athena will perform some more obedience or if we are working, we can search for narcotics. When Athena locates narcotics, I reward her with food. Athena eats about 6 cups of dog food a day. When we are at work we interact with other coworkers, dispatch and people within the community when we can. Athena loves to meet people and is a huge fan of kids!

All and all, a day in the life of a K9 handler, especially for a high energy pup like Athena, is a lot of fun but also very challenging. Athena does an amazing job at keeping me on my toes finding new ways to work with her and how to continue to improve on our skills. Athena does have an Instagram page that we try to post fun pictures and videos on for anyone that is interested.

A Day in the Life: K9 Ragnar

Ragnar is a Belgian Malinois that is 4 years old. He and I have been working together for 3 years and I would say he has just as much energy as the day I got him (maybe even a little more). It has been a challenge to work with such a high drive canine but has been the most rewarding role I have had within the Sheriff’s Office. I get to live my childhood dream of being a K9 Deputy and I am so thankful I get to spend every day with Ragnar. It is a privilege to have him as a partner and our bond is one, I will cherish my whole career within this Office. I was asked to write up a day in the life of K9 Ragnar which proved to be difficult because every day is different. Here is a general workday and day off for him.

On a workday for Ragnar, I start the squad car to warm it up so his kennel in the back seat behind me is cozy when he gets inside. I fill up his water dish and set a bone in the back for him to chew on during our shift. This helps with taking care of his teeth and giving him something to do on our drive. However, he is on high alert and always lets me know if anyone gets too close to the squad during our travels. I go to collect my med bag from the office and will do some type of training with him as we start our day. Each day is different for training in the mornings. Sometimes we will set up a training scenario with narcotics (hiding different narcotics in various areas and Ragnar will sniff to locate the item). Other days we will set up a scent specific track where a partner of mine will give an item of clothing and walk to a hidden location in which Ragnar will start with the scent article and track to the partner and receive a reward (he loves his bite pillow as a reward).  Other days we will work on his obedience to start the day. We are always available for priority calls in which Ragnar can be used. Along with K9 duties I am still taking calls for service that aren’t K9 related in which Ragnar will hang out behind me. We often get out for stretch breaks and some fun play time if I end up swamped with calls and report writing. Lately we have been stopping for pup cups (shoutout to all the baristas that take care of us, you make his day with the pup cups).  At the end of the day, we get home, and Ragnar gets to play with his fur-brother Steele (my personal husky). They are the best of friends and love to spend time together. He ends the night with a big bowl of food and cozies up in his outdoor kennel and heated doghouse.

On a day off, I make coffee first thing in the morning (of course) and head outside to let Ragnar out of his outdoor kennel. Steele comes with and the dogs hang out in the yard together, play ball, and Ragnar gets his morning belly rubs. I put him back in his outdoor kennel and feed him. I head back outside with Steele in the early afternoon where we take a family walk around the neighborhood. It has been great that Steele and Ragnar get along so well and get to spend so much time together. After we get done with our walk Ragnar wants to play with his Kong toys in the yard, so we usually have a little play session. We do a little variation of obedience everyday on his off days, but I stick to the mindset of he needs a day off just as much as I do after working our long shifts. In the evening, I will head back out just me (sorry Steele) and get some one-on-one time with Ragnar at night before we go to bed. He will often climb on me and cuddle for a bit before going full on crazy and wanting to play again. I get him his dinner and feed him again before heading in for the night. On days where the weather is nice, we spend a lot of time outside in the yard together. He also does well inside my home, so on particularly cold days he comes inside and gets to be like a “regular” dog. We are working on his social media and I will start posting more Ragnar content for you all. 

Adult Detention Center (ADC)

The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the detention of adult prisoners, including pre-sentenced, sentenced, boarders, court security (as regulated and required by the MN Department of Corrections and the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act standards) as well as work release (as mandated by MN State Statute). The ADC has three primary divisions: Support Services, Administrative Services and Operations.

Operations

The Operations Division is responsible for the daily schedule and management of the Adult Detention Center. In addition, maintaining the safety and security of our detainees and staff during the detainee’s stay at the ADC. Safety and security include daily activities, managing behavior, medical care, food services, and maintaining a high level of compliance standards.

ADC Bookings and Detainee Visits

ADC Bookings (meaning someone was brought into the ADC and processed as a detainee. They were then either kept until appearing in front of a judge or released and notified of future legal proceedings). For 2022, 2023 and 2024 numbers are below:

Administrative Services

The Administrative Services Division is responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating support services for the Sheriff’s Office to help it run effectively. This includes organizing deputy sheriff new hire testing, promotional exam testing, and hiring support services and clerical staff. In addition, this division oversees the booking and court services within the ADC, compliance, and staff wellness. This also includes gun permit processing.

	2022	2023	2024
Permits to Purchase	1107	1116	1147
Permits to Carry	871	972	956
Permits to Carry - Renewal	301	587	428

ADC Programming

OCSO encourages detainees to further their education if they desire while staying in the ADC. In 2024, 286 detainees took advantage of approximately 1128 hours of education. Further, seven received GED diplomas. Detainees are also offered other time in the gym for physical activity and many other programs.

	2022	2023	2024
Library	782	923	2048
Programs	1224	2260	4287
Gym	3377	3127	7122

Children of Incarcerated Parents

In 2024, the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office Adult Detention Center hosted the Minnesota Model Jail Practices Learning Community. The group consists of staff from several different detention centers from across Minnesota, as well as other community partners, coming together to work on reducing trauma for children of incarcerated parents.

• 106 females that were booked reported being a parent of a child under 18
• 320 males booked reported being a parent of a child under 18
• 719 reported number of children possibly affected by having a parent incarcerated
• 182 children, of the 423 parents incarcerated, lived with their child/children

Work Release

Work Release averaged a daily population of 10.91 in 2024 compared to 9.17 in 2023. See more work release info below.

	2022	2023	2024
Males Booked	76	106	98
Females Booked	11	17	19
Males Released	96	132	119
Females Released	17	21	21

Giving Back

A total of 10,104 hours of detainee Sentence to Service (STS) hours were provided in 2024. Some STS projects in 2024 included assisting with the Dover-Eyota High School renovation, creation of custom tables for county spaces, Chester Woods concrete work, several projects at County Parks, setting up for the County Fair, and more.

	2022	2023	2024
Detainee Hours Worked	6,264	10,048	10,104

Drug Court Program

In 2024 there were approximately 23 participants in the Drug Court Program. In addition, there were 13 graduates and four terminations from the program.

Public Fingerprints

Our Work Release staff have done 1,976 public fingerprinting that are done by appointment at varied hours during the day, evenings, and weekends.

Training

The ADC hired 12 new deputies in 2024. To prepare one new deputy on shift, it requires 750 hours of training time by dedicated staff. Additionally, trainees receive 255 hours of academy time before going to shift. Additionally, six staff members received promotions due to retirements.

ADC K9 Team

This past year, Detention Deputy Erik Ickler and K9 Huey finished fifth at the 2024 Region 18 USPCA Narcotics Certification Trials, leading the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit. The duo trained for a total of 1,197 hours in 2024.

Court

The ADC Court staff provides security for the detainees that are in custody and need to attend court. They work with other stakeholders to get detainees through the court process while they are in custody.

	2022	2023	2024
Sentenced or Held in Custody	273	284	311
Bail	434	446	492
Released on Own Recognizance	1438	1453	1458
Out of County	273	401	328
In Person	507	860	1264
Zoom Hearing	701	387	177
Scheduled Court	1477	1247	1441
Arraignments	2145	2183	2261

Recruitment Efforts

The Sheriff's Office has not been immune to national labor shortages. As a result, the LEC and ADC have increased recruitment efforts inside and outside our local community. In 2024, our recruitment team has continued to promote our office's values and highlight all we offer. We focus on attending career fairs at colleges, high schools, State Police Explorer programs, and other vocational places likely to be attended by like-minded people looking to enter law enforcement as a profession. We are always looking at new ways to expand our recruitment efforts and are proud to fill these positions with dedicated staff delivering excellent services to our county.

Community Engagement

Serving and protecting the citizens of Olmsted County is our #1 priority, and a piece of that puzzle includes community engagement. Throughout 2024, several Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office members participated in community events such as Night to Unite, Special Olympics fundraisers like the Polar Plunge, Safe City Nights in Rochester, community festivals, parades, and more. Below are some photos from Night To Unite this past year.