North Judson Town Marshal Discusses Glock Buyback Opportunity

North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher informed town council members about buyback special being offered by the Glock fire-arms company.

She noted that North Judson police officers currently carry 357s and they’re about 20-year-old models. Marshal Fisher stated that the NJPD could trade in their old guns and the company would provide the force with 9mm guns, equipped with night site, for a discounted price of $110 each. Continue reading

Slip-n-Slide Your Way into Saturday with the North Judson Police Department

Photo Source: NJPD FB page; sign by OTES

The North Judson Police Department wants to add a little color to your summer and they plan to do so with today’s blue foam Slip-n-Slide event at Norwayne Field.

The event is open to people of all ages and will run this afternoon from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. Officers with the North Judson Police Department will be present at the event including K9 Officer Rico Simpson and his partner Jimy.

This creative community outreach event will feature blue slip-n-slides full of foam for residents to slide down. Continue reading

North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher Reports Immediate Results from K9 Program

Officer Rico Simpson, K9 Jimy & Town Marshal Kelly Fisher
Photo Source: NJ Town Photographer Peggy Bohac

North Judson K9 Officer Rico Simpson and his K9 Partner Jimy have been very busy now that they’re out of training and patrolling the town. Town Marshal Kelly Fisher provided a brief synopsis of some of the work that the two have accomplished in their first week of deployment during Monday night’s town council meeting.

Since April 9th, K9 Jimy has already assisted with several traffic stops and indicated the presence of suspected narcotics, marijuana, heroin and drug paraphernalia. Continue reading

Ten Arrested in Warrant Sweep

 

Ten people were arrested in the early morning hours on Sunday in a year-long undercover investigation called Operation Orthodox conducted by the Knox City Police Department.

Officers from the Knox City Police Department were assisted by the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and the Knox, North Judson and Plymouth Police Departments in executing the arrest warrants.

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North Judson Town Marshal Completes Chief School, K9 Officer Nears End of Training

Officer Rico Simpson, K9 Jimy & Town Marshal Kelly Fisher
Photo Source: NJ Town Photographer Peggy Bohac

North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher alerted town council members that she recently completed chief school through the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.

During her report Monday night, she told council members that she completed the schooling last week and was able to get some valuable information that will be beneficial to the department and town.

On a related note, she also mentioned that Officer Rico Simpson and his K9 Partner Jimy are in their final week of training at Vohne Liche Kennels. Simpson came in during Fisher’s report and provided a few details about his new K9 partner. Continue reading

NJ Town Marshal Talks Equipment Installation and Department Renovations at Council Meeting

All the necessary equipment needed for the North Judson Police Department K9 vehicle is almost completely installed.

Town Marshal Kelly Fisher told town council members Monday night, that the department has been utilizing the help of Matt Noonan to get the equipment installed.

As Officer Rico Simpson utilizes the SUV for training, they’ve been working around his class schedule to finish up the additions. Continue reading

North Judson Police Department Welcomes K9 Jimy to the Force

NJPD K9 Jimy

The highly anticipated addition to the North Judson Police Department is finally here.

Yesterday, Officer Rico Simpson picked his K9 partner out of more than 300 dogs at Vohne Liche Kennels. The dual-purpose K9 that he chose is named Jimy.

As a dual-purpose dog, Jimy will be able to assist with patrol work such as narcotics detection and apprehension, as well as tracking. Town Marshall Kelly Fisher previously reported that the tracking capabilities could not only help with finding criminals, but they could also come in handy for missing persons cases. Continue reading

North Judson Police Department Plans Future Events

The North Judson Town Council members heard some future event suggestions from Town Marshal Kelly Fisher during their meeting last week.

Fisher said they’re considering a “Canine Mud Run” as a potential summertime fundraiser. She said it would be like any other mud run but they would invite individuals to bring their dogs along.

She said the police department plans to team up with the park board to have community-centered events every month. Continue reading

NJ Town Marshal Updates Town Council on Department Renovations

Renovations to the North Judson Police Department are underway. The town council members recently approved Town Marshall Kelly Fisher’s request to convert the conference room into a training area.

At Monday night’s town council meeting, Marshal Fisher informed members that two old radiators were recently removed with the help of the utility department.  Continue reading

NJ Town Council Members Invited to Attend K9 Pick-Up at Vohne Liche Kennels

On Monday night, North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher invited council members to tag along with NPJD as they venture to Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Indiana on Tuesday, February 20th.

Marshal Fisher mentioned that Officer Rico Simpson will have over 300 dogs to choose from. The chosen animal will then go home with Officer Simpson for a week in order for them to bond and get familiarized.

After the week is complete, Simpson will attend six weeks worth of training, five days a week at the Vohne Liche facility. Continue reading

North Judson Town Council Approves Purchase of K9 Vehicle for Police Department

During a special meeting Monday night, North Judson Town Council members permitted Town Marshal Kelly Fisher to proceed with the purchase of a vehicle for the Police Department.

The vehicle is for Officer Rico Simpson and the police dog that he will be picking up next month. Members approved the purchase of a black 2014 Ford Explorer, with all-wheel drive that was requested by the town marshal. Marshal Fisher explained that it’s had routine maintenance so it is in very good condition. Continue reading

NJ Town Council to Hold Special Meeting to Consider K9 Vehicle Purchase Tonight

A special meeting to consider the purchase of a K9 vehicle will be held by the North Judson Town Council tonight at 6:30 p.m.

Town Marshal Kelly Fisher initially proposed the purchase when town council members met on Monday, January 15th.Fisher explained that the department has $10,000 worth of funds available that was initially intended to buy a mode of transportation for the town’s code enforcement officer.

However, rather than purchasing a new vehicle for that purpose, she suggested handing down Officer Rico Simpson’s current car so they can utilize the money for something that could be equipped with the K9 travel kennel. Continue reading

North Judson Police Department to Convert Boardroom into Training Area

North Judson Police Officers will be tacking a renovation project soon, following a decision made by town council members on Monday.

At the first town council meeting of the year, Town Marshal Kelly Fisher requested permission to convert a scarcely used boardroom in the police department into a training area. She said that many of the officers have instructor qualifications so they could open the space up to host training classes for other local officers and to bring in some money for the department.

Council Members thought it was a good idea, but they wanted to ensure that the individuals who use the room for meetings wouldn’t feel ousted. Continue reading

North Judson Town Marshal Proposes K9 Vehicle Purchase

North Judson Town Marshall Kelly Fisher presented town council members with a few different options for police vehicles when they met Monday night.

Fisher told them that she’s been seeking a vehicle that can be utilized by Officer Rico Simpson once the K9 is obtained from Vohne Liche Kennels.

She explained that $10,000 is currently set aside for the purchase of a code enforcement vehicle. However, she presented members with a proposal to utilize that money for a K9 vehicle instead.

Fisher said, “If we can hand Rico’s car down to the ordinance officer and then maybe if we could use that $10,000 plus maybe another 5 out of our donations to buy him an SUV.” Continue reading

North Judson Town Council Establishes Fund for North Judson Police Department K9

Last night, North Judson Town Council members considered an ordinance that establishes a fund for the police department’s K9 donations. Town Attorney Justin Schramm said the ordinance also allows for the flexibility to make additional purchases related to the K9.

Town Council President Wendy Hoppe read the ordinance aloud and specified that the fund can be used by the K9 handler, Rico Simpson and other law enforcement officials for any purposes related to obtaining, training or maintaining the dog. Additionally, it was mentioned that any requests to utilize the funds must come before the town council in a meeting open to the public. Continue reading

North Judson Police Department K9 Supporter Shirt Fundraiser This Monday

North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher announced that the NJ Police Department will be selling t-shirts and hoodies as a part of their K9 fundraiser from 8 a.m. until noon on Monday, January 8th.

The t-shirts cost $10 and the hoodies will be sold for $20. Fisher stated they consciously set the prices in order to allow all community members a chance to obtain the North Judson Police Department K9 Supporter apparel. The police station is located at 206 Keller Avenue. Continue reading

North Judson Town Marshal Proposes Changing Unused Board Room into Training Site

(photo provided by Peggy Bohac)
North Judson Police Department Full-Time Force

North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher came before town council members on Tuesday, seeking permission to turn the police station’s board room into a training site.

Marshal Fisher explained that she hasn’t seen the room utilized for meetings in quite some time. She mentioned that many officers have various instructor qualifications so that unused space is holding some untapped potential.

Fisher said, “We could open it up to host classes and bring some money in for the police department, kind of broaden our training.” Continue reading

Five Arrested on Drug-Related Charges, after Police Reportedly Find Meth in North Judson Home

 

Five people were arrested on drug-related charges Tuesday afternoon, after police say they found methamphetamine while serving a warrant in North Judson. Shortly after 3:00, officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office and North Judson Police Department went to a home in the 300 block of High Street to serve a warrant for failure to appear, according to Sheriff Bill Dulin.

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Progress Made in North Judson PD K-9 Fundraiser, Additional Donations Still Needed

The North Judson Police Department is already nearing their $20,000 goal for the purchase of a K-9 and subsequent training thanks to a decision made by town council members Monday evening.

Town Marshal Kelly Fisher requested for $15,000 to be encumbered from the general police insurance fund into the K-9 fund to help cover the cost of purchasing a K-9 from the Peru-based company Vohne Liche Kennels. The council members unanimously approved Fisher’s request.

Fisher also acknowledged some local businesses and organizations that are already offering assistance to the NJPD. San Pierre Veterinary Clinic offered to donate annual shots and physicals and Feed Barn is donating all food needed for the K-9. Continue reading