Sheriff: Calls rose to more than 300 in March; dispatcher honored with lifesaving commendation

Sheriff JD Jones told the Mills County Commissioners Court on April 13 that total calls for service climbed from 274 in February to "well over 300" in March, while arrests remained steady at about 20 per month and new jail bookings reached 30 for March.

Jones said the sheriff's office is investigating a marked increase in major open cases, reporting 26 active investigations compared with six in February. "Some of those are pretty substantial investigations," he said, estimating each could require "80 to 100 hours of manhour investigations" to prepare for prosecution.

The sheriff described an initiative in which deputies check late-night business doors and reported repeated findings of unsecured entries at local businesses, propane suppliers and dealerships. He said deputies contact owners to secure premises and that the program has helped the office identify recurring security gaps.

During the same agenda item, Jones called up telecommunicator Jaden to present a lifesaving commendation for dispatcher-assisted CPR performed on March 11, 2026. According to the sheriff, Jaden "immediately initiated dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction" and coordinated EMS response while guiding the caller; those actions, he said, "directly contributed to sustaining the patient until advanced care arrived." The court unanimously approved a proclamation declaring April 12–18, 2026, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Mills County.

Why it matters: The rise in calls and the jump in major investigations have resource implications for staffing and case workload, while the dispatch commendation highlights the county's reliance on telecommunicators for early emergency care and coordination.

The court took no separate policy action on staffing or budgets at the meeting but recorded the report and recognized the lifesaving efforts of county dispatch staff. The proclamation passed by unanimous vote.