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Residents report rising livestock thefts; sheriff's office urges reports and increased patrols
Summary
A southern‑Roosevelt County resident warned commissioners that livestock and pickup thefts have increased; the sheriff's office described stepped‑up patrols, coordination with livestock inspectors, stakeouts and game cameras, and urged the public to report suspicious activity.
A resident raised alarm about what they described as a wave of livestock and pickup thefts in the southern part of Roosevelt County, prompting a detailed response from the sheriff's office.
The resident (speaker 5) said thefts began in spring of last year and recurred around Christmas, including stolen welders and baby calves. "What are y'all doing to try to curb this?" the resident asked.
The sheriff's representative (speaker 11) summarized 2025 public safety statistics — roughly 5,867 dispatch calls, 515 initial reports, 128 arrests and 161 crashes — and described operational responses. "We do increase our patrols," the speaker said, adding deputies work with livestock inspectors, use game cameras, conduct stakeouts and build cases. The speaker also cautioned that the county's large geography can limit immediate response: "You could be a 100 miles away from where someone needs you to be at 2 or 03:00 in the morning." He urged residents to "call us" when they see suspicious activity.
Commissioners and the sheriff's representative discussed evidence‑gathering strategies, case building and the difficulty of preventing opportunistic crime in a large rural jurisdiction. The representative said increased reporting and targeted patrols are the primary short‑term tools and that arrests and prosecutions have historically reduced crime in targeted areas.
What happens next
The sheriff's office said it will continue to increase patrol presence where reports indicate recurring problems and encouraged residents to report incidents and preserve evidence (game camera photos, descriptions).
