Starke County Sheriff Jack Rosa released his Starke County Sheriff’s report for 2023-2025 this week, highlighting the accomplishments of the agency over that period of time.
The report begins with the Sheriff expressing gratitude to Starke County citizens, as well as their community partners and the media for their support.
Sheriff Rosa also expresses gratitude to employees of the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, including those serving in patrol, dispatch, support services, and the jail.
Rosa notes that between 2023 and 2025, the Sheriff’s Office successfully completed over 6,000 hours of training, including use-of-force instruction, drone operations, ongoing legal and case law updates, and more.
The report goes on to list the achievements of the Starke County Sheriff’s Office over the last two years, broken down by category:
Enforcement of Illegal Drug and Criminal Activity
- Developed collaborative partnerships with families, social service providers, and law enforcement agencies to support prevention and intervention efforts.
- Established a Strategic Response Team in 2023 targeting methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and related drug crimes, in cooperation with Starke County Detectives, the DEA, and all county law enforcement agencies.
- Strengthened partnerships with the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office, Starke County Coroner’s Office, federal agencies, and surrounding counties, contributing to a 55% reduction in overdose fatalities in 2024 and a 60% reduction in 2025.
- Increased proactive patrol activity in 2024 and 2025, including calls for service, traffic stops, warrant checks, business checks, and directed patrols.
- Implemented an anonymous tip line in 2023 to report drug activity, suspicious behavior, and criminal information.
- Focused enforcement efforts on high-level drug dealers, resulting in the arrest, charging, and sentencing of the top five offenders to the Indiana Department of Correction (ongoing since 2023).
Established a Crime Suppression Team, operational as of January 2026. - Initiated a partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana (South Bend) to pursue federal prosecutions, beginning in 2026 and continuing forward.
Improving Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Professionalism
- Updated existing policies and implemented new policies emphasizing compliance, transparency, professionalism, and public trust.
- Worked collaboratively with the County Council and Commissioners to replace rebuilt-title patrol vehicles; deputies now operate fully compliant fleet vehicles (initiated 2023).
- Partnered with the Opioid Committee to acquire advanced surveillance equipment to enhance drug enforcement capabilities (2024).
- Implemented the Prepared Live dispatch system in 2024, enabling real-time video assistance for individuals in need.
- Established an Employee of the Quarter Program in 2023 to recognize outstanding employee performance.
- Requested and completed an Indiana State Board of Accounts financial audit in 2023 to ensure fiscal compliance and address discrepancies.
Requested and completed an Indiana Sheriffs’ Association jail audit in 2024 to ensure compliance with best practices. - Achieved significant reductions in correctional officer use-of-force incidents in 2024, including a 50% reduction in hands-on incidents and a 33% reduction in no-force incidents.
- Worked with Indiana State Police District 13 (Lowell) leadership to establish Zone 4 coverage for Starke and Pulaski Counties, with implementation beginning January 2026.
School Safety and Community Partnerships
- Provided community training to improve active-shooter awareness for first responders, school officials, and community members.
- Established partnerships with all county schools, providing deputies access to school layouts to enhance response times and operational effectiveness.
- Hosted “Coffee with a Cop” events beginning in 2023 and continuing annually.
- Participated in National Night Out for the first time in department history in 2023 and continuing annually.
- Participated annually in Police Week to honor fallen officers (initiated 2023).
- Scheduled the launch of the Citizens Police Academy for February 2026.
- Scheduled the launch of the “Riding with the Sheriff” Program for February 2026.
Succession Planning and Promotions
- Cross-trained jail and road deputies in de-escalation and use-of-force techniques (ongoing since 2023).
- Promoted an additional detective in 2024 to support expanded drug enforcement efforts.
- Promoted a Deputy Director of Dispatch in 2024 following a review of statewide best practices.
- Mentored jail staff into patrol roles, resulting in successful transitions and new hires (2023–2024).
- Participated in career fairs and community recruitment events.
- Provided continuous mentoring and training to prepare personnel for advancement.
- Created two corporal positions within the existing budget in 2023 to improve shift supervision, reduce liability, and expand career development opportunities.
- Added an additional certified drone operator in 2025.
The full report, including the forward by Sheriff Rosa, can be found here.
