ROMULUS — The men and women of the Seneca County sheriff’s office were in the holiday spirit last month.
In their monthly snapshot for December, Sheriff Tim Luce and Undersheriff John Cleere said corrections officers from the county jail sponsored a Christmas event Dec. 23 at Glove House in Waterloo. Gifts were purchased for 165 children, and the event included a visit from “Santa Claus” — a.k.a. Chief Deputy Kipp Goodman.
Earlier in the month, deputies took a different approach to the “Shop with a Sheriff” program. They purchased school supplies, clothes and personal items and delivered them to two Waterloo schools.
“The sheriff and I commend our officers and staff for getting involved with the community,” Cleere said. “It’s very nice to see.”
Luce and Cleere reported the following in December:
Dec. 14 — Sheriff’s investigators made a grand larceny arrest after looking into a debit card stolen in Ovid.
Dec. 16 — Deputies responded to a fire in Romulus that destroyed a home. The cause was determined to be accidental/electrical.
Dec. 20 — A steam boiler at the Willard Drug Treatment Campus catastrophically failed, causing an explosion that was heard by many local residents.
Dec. 23 — Deputies arrested a man who allegedly drove away after hitting a building with his car in Ovid. The man was charged with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.
Dec. 30 — Investigators made a felony welfare fraud arrest in Waterloo.
Sheriff’s office deputies and investigators responded to 1,395 calls in December, making 40 arrests. The narcotics unit started seven new drug cases and made one arrest.
The Division of Human Services Fraud Unit investigated nine cases. It has recouped more than $251,000 this year.
Deputies responded to 10 mental health calls.
On the corrections side, the average number of inmates at the jail was 41. More than $21,000 was generated from boarding out-of-county prisoners, bringing the yearly total to about $364,000.
In the civil division, there were 28 summons/complaints/services and 28 income executions. Deputies assisted with one eviction.
