Undersheriff delivers annual report

CENTREVILLE – There were fewer traffic crashes and alcohol-related arrests in St. Joseph County last year compared to 2022.

Undersheriff Jason Bingaman provided data to St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners during their monthly meeting Tuesday. Bingaman was in attendance to give the sheriff’s department’s 2023 annual report.

According to information provided by Bingaman, there were 611 crashes in the county in 2023, down from 766 the year before. He said 343 were non-injury, while 168 were with injury last year.

There were nine fatal car crashes in the county last year, an increase from seven in 2022.

Meanwhile, deputies arrested 48 people for operating while intoxicated last year, down from 56 the year previous. The 48 arrests were a four-year low.

There were 245 car-deer incidents reported last year, one more than the 244 called in during 2022. Both were down from a four-year high of 478 in 2021.

Bingaman’s information included several other statistics: 52 motor-vehicle thefts in 2023, down from 83 in 2022; 107 reports of malicious destruction of property in 2023, down from 129 in 2022; 147 incidents of breaking and entering, an increase from 136 in 2022; 77 reported cases of sexual assault, a drop from 90 the previous year; and a sharp jump in aggravated felonious assault, 193 in 2022 and 231 in 2023.

“In 2023, we had a 23% increase in our traffic enforcement over a three-year average; we saw accidents drop by 13% over that three-year period,” he said. “While accidents aren’t the only criteria you use for public safety, it’s certainly one of the major factors.”

Bingaman also made note of sheriff’s department infrastructure improvements last year as well as building upgrades at the nearby animal control facility.

He said the department last year remained committed to training programs.

Its jail, meanwhile, had a daily population of 118 inmates last year. The facility is designed to hold 165 people, Bingaman said.

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He estimated as many as 70% of the jail population has either mental health or substance-abuse challenges.

The jail served 141,476 meals in 2023, Bingaman said. Also, Bingaman said a county jail diversion program that saw 106 different inmates get diverted to treatment and/or drug court.

“The idea of locking people up and incarcerating the addiction out of them doesn’t work, so we need to try new things,” he said.

Animal control took in 436 dogs last year. Bingaman said 253 were adopted to new homes and 105 were returned to their owners. Other dogs were transferred to neighboring facilities and subsequently adopted.

No mention was made – by Bingaman or the seven-member board of commissioners – about Sheriff Mark Lillywhite. Bingaman did, however, acknowledge and thank the 77 people employed by the sheriff’s department.

“It was a challenging year at our office, so I thank them and I appreciate the time, effort and all the work they put in last year,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Undersheriff delivers annual report