Project LifeSaver
A patrol officer covers many aspects of law enforcement and crime prevention. Officers are responsible for serving civil process, courtroom security, criminal investigations, traffic crash investigations and traffic enforcement are just a few of the daily responsibilities.

Officers are on shift 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are dedicated to bringing the best possible service to the residents of Monroe County. Some of the services provided by these officers involve specialized training and attention.

Project Lifesaver is an innovative and rapidly growing program aiding the victims and families suffering Alzheimer's Disease and related disorders such as Down's Syndrome and Autism. Project Lifesaver uses state-of-the-art technology employing wristband transmitters to locate wandering and lost adults and children.

Over 5,000,000 people in the USA have Alzheimer's. That number will triple by 2050. Well over 50% of these people wander and become lost. A lost person with Alzheimer's or other dementia represents a critical emergency as nearly half of them will die and many can become injured or fall victim to predators if they are not located within 24 hours. The number of people, families and communities experiencing this risk will grow dramatically in this decade.

If you are not yet touched in some way by Alzheimer's or related disease, chances are you will be within the next several years. You will find it among neighbors, your friends, co-workers and their families, and perhaps within your own family.


Project Lifesaver is much more than a passive ID bracelet. It is an active system that relies on state-of-the-art technology and a specially trained search and rescue team. People who are part of the Project Lifesaver program wear a personalized bracelet that emits a tracking signal. When caregivers notify the local Project Lifesaver agency that the person is missing, a search and rescue team responds to the wanderer's area and starts searching with the mobile locater tracking system.. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes. In hundreds of searches, there have been no reported serious injuries or deaths. Recovery times average less than 30 minutes.

The Project Lifesaver CARE TRAK bracelet is much more than a passive ID bracelet. It is a one-ounce battery-operated radio wrist transmitter emitting an automatic tracking signal every second, 24 hours a day. The signal is tracked on the ground or in the air over several miles. As each bracelet has a unique radio frequency, the Project Lifesaver search team positively locates and identifies the person who has wandered away from home or a care facility.

For more information regarding Project Lifesaver, please contact Deputy Joe Kuntzman at 740-472-1612

Are you OK?
In 2009, Monroe County launched the "ARE YOU OK?" Program. The Area Agency on Aging 8 in partnership with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Monroe County Senior Center and County Council on Aging announce a new service called RUOK? This computerized telephone calling system is a free service to seniors 60 and older and disabled adults.
    The system consists of a computer, telephone, printer and the RUOK software housed at the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. This was provided through a grant from AAA8. The computer stores subscriber names, numbers and call times. The system automatically calls each person at a predetermined time. When RUOK hears a voice response on the phone it delivers a short pre-recorded message. System operators monitor responses. If the RUOK subscriber does not answer after a pre-set number of call attempts, an alert is given with the emergency contact information and efforts are made to check the subscriber's welfare. The system is designed to check at-risk adults on a daily basis in collaboration with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Charles Black. It is not designed to replace, but to supplement, emergency response systems. Funding support for the program's telephone line was provided by the Monroe County Council on Aging and Ruritan Club as well as AT&T.  For more information, contact the Sheriff's Office or the Monroe County Senior Center at 740-472-1312







D.A.R.E.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has a Deputy Sheriff specially trained in D.A.R.E. and school resource training. This officer maintains a presence in all of the schools within the Switzerland of Ohio School District. Programs such as drug awareness and seat belt usage are presented to children throughout the school year. D.A.R.E. goes beyond traditional drug abuse and violence prevention programs. It gives children the skills needed to recognize and resist the subtle and overt pressures that cause them to experiment with drugs or become involved in gangs or violent activities.

D.A.R.E. is Community Policing

D.A.R.E. is universally viewed as an internationally recognized model of community policing. The United States Department of Justice has identified how D.A.R.E. benefits local communities:

D.A.R.E. "humanizes" the police: that is, young people can begin to relate to officers as people

D.A.R.E. permits students to see officers in a helping role, not just an enforcement role

D.A.R.E. opens lines of communication between law enforcement and youth

D.A.R.E. Officers can serve as conduits to provide information beyond drug-related topics

D.A.R.E. opens dialogue between the school, police, and parents to deal with other issues.

For further information regarding the D.A.R.E program or school resource activities contact Deputy Terry Stewart.

A portion of a patrol officer's time is spent eradicating marijuana from Monroe County. Assistance has been provided by outside agencies such as a helicopter and crew from the Washington County Sheriff's Office and aircraft is also provided by Ohio BCI&I for eradication purposes. 2009 was a very successful year in eradicating drugs from our county. Over 2000 plants were confiscated during the program. Several criminal charges resulted from subsequent investigations. Anyone having information regarding drug activity or grows are encouraged to call the Sheriff's Office.