To the good citizens of Wabaunsee County, my name is Rob Hoskins and I am the Sheriff of Wabaunsee County. I will be providing information to all of you in an attempt to keep you informed of what is occurring in our county. I encourage all citizens to be aware, informed, and vigilant.
It has been a very active past few weeks in Wabaunsee County a place we all call home.
First of all, I want to inform the parents and patrons of the Wabaunsee and Mission Valley Schools that on Nov. 2, 2017 officers from Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office; Alma City Marshal and Potawatomie County Sheriff’s Office conducted a check of the schools and parking lots using drug detection dogs. I am very happy to report that on that day there were no drugs or drug paraphernalia found in the building or vehicles on the school grounds. A big shout out to our students and staff of the schools for keeping the schools a “Drug Free Zone”.
Now for the bad news. I wish I could say that when we checked the parking lots all of the vehicles were secured with the keys removed. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE!!! I urge all to remove valuables from vehicles secure them and remove the keys. We have had dirtbags steal from vehicles during school functions and steal vehicles with keys inside. These individuals can be in Topeka forging your checks and making purchases on your credit and debit cards before you know they are gone. It is a very great hassle to have to contact banks and credit card companies to report these items lost and then you have to deal with collection agencies when they are trying to collect on the bad checks that the suspects cashed in surrounding towns. This can be avoided if we take the time to remove valuables and lock the vehicles.
While on that subject recently a vehicle was stolen from the Maple Hill area and a suspect had been identified as Justin Lee Atwood and warrants issued. This information can be found on the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page. Over 33,000 views of that posting has occurred so it is getting around. Prior to the theft Atwood was a suspect in a drive-by shooting on a residence in Shawnee County. He is a dangerous individual. The vehicle he stole from Maple Hill had a firearm inside; the vehicle was recovered but the firearm was not. Now this individual is suspected of having another firearm in his possession.
I know there are many lawful firearms owners and hunters in our county; but I ask that you PLEASE REMOVE ALL FIREARMS AND WEAPONS FROM YOUR VEHICLE WHEN YOU PARK THEM FOR THE EVENING. Every year there are guns stolen from vehicles especially during hunting season when they frequently left in vehicles. Please take the time to remove them and if you need gun locks they are free from the sheriff’s office, when we run out we order more.
On Wednesday October 25, 2017 I had the privilege and joy spend time with all the students at St. John’s Lutheran School in Alma. The youths were very attentive and we had a very good talk about safety as part of Red Ribbon Week. The kids asked me a lot of questions and I quizzed them about safety practices. They were very well prepared and were able to answer all of the questions given. To the staff at the school “kudos for a job well done!!!” and to the parents and family of the students, you should be very proud of your kids.
Halloween has come and gone and many children were out and about and all was safe. The Sheriff’s Office distributed safety materials and glow bracelets to all of the grade schools. I had the pleasure of giving out candy and seeing many children and their families. I even had my picture taken with Captain America and he was nothing like I saw in the comics as a kid.
On November 1st 2017 Sgt. Sam Hamilton and Deputy Kirsch made a traffic stop on I-70 and during the traffic stop located illegal drugs; firearms; and a quantity of cash. THOMAS JAMES ELIJAH WILLIAMS, DOB 04-28-91, of Jacksonville FL and REBEKAH ELIZABETH FIELDS, DOB 07-09-94, of Orange Grove, FL were arrested and confined at the Wabaunsee County Jail. Good job Sam and Eric.
As always, we ask that our citizens be aware and vigilant. Please report any and all suspicious activity. We know that we cannot do this job without your support and confidence. We thank you for that trust and support.
Be safe and be aware.
Rob Hoskins
Sheriff Wabaunsee County Kansas
