DETACHMENTS
A detachment is a specialized unit with unique capabilities. It can either be detached from the Special Missions Division for a specific function as needed or augmented to another Division. Personnel of the Howell County Sheriff's may be assigned permanently or as an additional duty in order to enhance the capabilities of Sheriff Operations.
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER UNIT
The School Resource Officer (SRO) unit are commissioned officers by the Sheriff’s Office and licensed by the State of Missouri as sworn law enforcement officers responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools. SROs are typically work closely with school administrators in an effort to create a safer environment for both students and staff. The responsibilities of SROs are similar to regular law enforcement in that they have the ability to make arrests, respond to calls for service, and document incidents. SROs typically have additional duties, including mentoring and conducting presentations on youth-related issues.
CANINE UNIT
The canine unit is comprised of teams of handlers and special purpose canines. The primary mission of the canine teams is to detect the presence of concealed narcotics. Canines can also be used to conduct building searches for offenders in hiding, assist in the arrest or prevent the escape of serious or violent offenders, protect law enforcement officers or others from death or serious injury, track suspects or locate lost or missing persons, and locate hidden instrumentalities or evidence of crime.
S.W.A.T. UNIT
The S.W.A.T. Unit is comprised of platoons with each task organized with a minimum of 29 personnel. Deputies of the Howell County Sheriff's Office who volunteer and successfully negotiate the selection phase, will be assigned and qualified within the "Regional" Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) unit that was established in 2001 in order to provide an additional capability for public safety. The regional unit are designated law enforcement teams, who are recruited, selected, trained, qualified, equipped and assigned to resolve critical incidents involving a threat to public safety which would otherwise exceed the capabilities of traditional law enforcement first responders and/or investigative units as identified through the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) standards. The regional unit is similar in organizational structure as our United States Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in order to meet the demands of mutual aid in various areas of jurisdiction while providing an array of capabilities.