Bomb Squad

Dive Team

K-9 Unit

DARE Program

Community Services Officer

Sergeant Don Sims is the Community Services Officer for the Ashland County Sheriff's Office

Sgt. Don Sims began his law enforcement career in 1992 in a small village police agency in Wayne county, then started working for the Ashland County Sheriff's Office in 1995 as a Special Deputy working in corrections, dispatching and road patrol. Don began working full time in corrections in 1996, and transferred to the enforcement division in late 1998. In 2001 Don was promoted to his currant rank of Sergeant and has been the assistant supervisor and later supervisor of his shifts. In 2004 Sgt. Sims accepted the challenges of being the Ashland County Community Policing Officer, Junkyard inspector as well as a field training officer and pistol range officer. He has also held positions as a bomb squad member and SRT member.

Sgt. Sims enjoys traveling and eating out with his two children.

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS

• Seat Belt Program

Ashland County Bomb Squad 

The Bomb Squad is staffed by four members of the Sheriff's Office. The Unit is on call 24/7, not only for Ashland County, but surrounding counties and other agencies as well. The Unit handles an average of 30 calls per year. These calls include responding to Bomb Threats, Improvised Explosive devices, Improvised Incendiary devices, military ordinance, commercial explosives and hazardous chemicals that are explosive in nature. In addition the Unit provides training for law enforcement and fire agencies as well as hospitals, schools and private businesses.

The Bomb Squad is responsible for and responds to all calls in Ashland, Erie, Holmes, Huron, Knox, Richland and Wayne counties as well as any other calls that may come their way.

Training for bomb technicians is lengthy and ongoing. Schooling is provided by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy and other state and federal agencies. Team members train frequently to insure a safe and rapid response to any situation.

  In 2005 the team participated in 48 hrs. of joint training with the FBI and other bomb teams. In 2008 the team participated in over 200 hours of training in house and with other area bomb teams.

The nature of our work gives us no second chance. The Teams Motto: "Initial Success or Total Failure" reminds us that preservation of life and safety of team remains foremost.

The Bomb Squad recently receved a MARK II Remote Control Robot  from the U.S. Navy's SPAWAR Program.

Bomb Squad Statistics

Total Calls by year

2010 - 19

2009 - 15

2007 - 31

2008 - 35

By Call Type (2010)

Recovered Military Ordinance:                            5
Bomb threats/searches:                                       0
Suspicious devices/packages:                              2
Recovered explosives/pyrotechnics (Fireworks):  2
Recovered/turned in old munitions:                       8
Recovered Explosives:                                         2

Recovered explosives/chemicals:                          0

Bottle Bombs: 0VIP protections:                          0

Calls By County (2010)

Ashland     8

Huron       4

Richland    5

Morrow    1

Wayne      1

The Dive Team takes on the responsibilities of searching for drowned persons and recovering items and evidence underwater. The Dive Team is comprised of Male and Female Law Enforcement Officers and is presently eight members strong. All those officers are trained to the level of Dive Rescue Specialist 1, with four of those members being trained as Dive Rescue Specialist 2. The Dive Team also has one unit trained as an Underwater Crime Scene Investigator as well as a Scuba Instructor. The Dive Team has equipment ranging from normal dive great to full face masks and dry suits.

Over the last several years the Sheriff's Office Dive Team has recovered stolen guns, vehicles and other items as well as drowning victims. The Sheriff's Office Dive Team takes great pride in their abilities and accomplishments, as their work is very dangerous. The Dive Team operates with little or no knowledge of what is under the water. Information provided by witnesses is often sketchy or distorted. The Dive Team usually experiences very poor visibility in most of the bodies of water in the county. This can make items very difficult to locate.

The dive and rescue team is under the direct command of the Chief Diver, Detective Lt. Scott Smart.

Sergeant Tim Kitts

K-9 Meeko

Corporal Mike Freelon

K-9 Ruger

Deputy Kyle Pidgeon

K-9 Nicky

The K-9 unit was established in 1994. Presently the unit is comprised of 3 teams:

Sgt. Tim Kitts and Zak, Deputy Kyle Pidgeon and Nicky, Corporal Mike Freelon and Ruger.

The K-9 teams work on the roads in Ashland County. Additionaly K-9s are used to assist in the Correction Division of the Sheriff's Office.They are often called upon to assist other Law Enforcement Agencies with in the county. The team puts on demonstrations for schools and groups. They also participate in the opening day festivities at the Ashland County Fair.

If any group or organization is interested in having the team put on a demonstration, please contact the Sheriff's Office.

 The K-9 program is funded strictly through donations. No tax payer funds have been used since 1994.

If you would like to donate to the Ashland County Sheriff's Canine fund,Call Sgt. Kitts at the Sheriff's Office at 419-282-6672.

Checks may be made payable to ''Ashland County Sheriff's Office Canine Division."

About the K-9s

Meeko

"Meeko" is a German Shepherd imported from Germany. She was nearly 3 years old when she arrived in the United States on July 19, 2012. She spent just over a week in Sandusky with a trainer before she spent her first day with Kitts.

Meeko will receive intensified training during August thru October of 2012 with Sgt.Kitts. By October 2012 she will be certified with the State of Ohio in drug detection and general duty or normal police work. General duty certification includes such areas as tracking, article and area search, criminal apprehension, and handler protection. All dogs are tested under gunfire in order to obtain their certification. Narcotics detection certification requires that the dogs are able to detect and alert to the odor of Marijuana and it derivatives, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Heroin.

Nicky

"Nicky" was imported from Germany where he recieved extensive training. Nicky partnered up with Deputy Pidgeon in 2010 and continued the intense and extensive training. Nicky became O.P.O.T.A Certified in 2010.and primarily works for the Enforcement Division. Nicky was named 2011 K-9 of the Year.

Ruger

"Ruger" is a 3 yearold German Sheppard. He was born and raised in Germany where he recieved extensive training in police K9 tactics by the time he was 1-1/2 years old. Ruger was flown to the United States in May 2010 where he was united with his handler Corporal Mike Freelon. Cpl. Freelon and Ruger continued the intense and extensive training on a daily basis and became O.P.O.T.A Certified in 2010. They now work together both in the Corections Division and the Enforcement Division.

Since 2010, Ruger and Cpl. Freelon have been called upon to assist the Sheriff's Office, Ashland Police Dept. and the Ohio State Highway Patrol over 80 times resulting in 17 arrests to date.

Ruger is also trained in the detection of Narcotics. He is also trained in tracking subjects on foot, finding people in buildings and attacking persons that pose a threat to his handler or others.

Cpl. Freelon has been employed with the Sheriff's Office since 2001 and partnered with Ruger since 2010.

ASHLAND COUNTY K-9 DIVISION

PAST MEMBERS

Deputy Angie Hamilton serves as a School Resources Officer and D.A.R.E. Program Instructor.

Deputy Angie Hamilton joined the Sheriff's Office in May of 1997. During her career, she has worked in Communications, Road Patrol and Administration. She was assigned duties as the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer. She taught the D.A.R.E. program in Mapleton, Hillsdale and Loudonville School Districts, Elementary through Middle School. Gun safety was also taught in the elementary schools with the "Eddie Eagle" program. She also gave public talks about the D.A.R.E. program to public groups and organizations.

Begining in Dec 2011 Deputy Hamilton became the School Resources Officer for Black River Schools.

She is now the SRO and D.A.R.E Officer for Black River, Hillsdale, Mapleton and Loudonville School Districts.

Deputy Hamilton is a member of the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association, The Christ Community Evangelical Free Church, The Ashland County Republican Women's Club, the American Cancer Society, Ashland Chapter of the Eastern Star and the White Shrine. She is married to the Civil Officer/911 Coordinator Captain Hamilton. Her hobbies include horseback riding, shopping, sewing and scrapbooking.

You may visit the D.A.R.E. America or D.A.R.E. Ohio web pages by clicking on the links below.

Links to other D.A.R.E. sites:

     America                                               Ohio

Ashland County Sheriff's Office
1205 East Main Street
Ashland, Ohio 44805
Non-Emergency Phone: (419) 289-3911

Jail Phone: (419) 281-9009
E-Mail: sheriff@ashlandcounty.org

Fax Number: (419) 281-2060