02/18/2021
Notice to Portage County Residents:
I would like to take the time to thank our residents for the great telephone calls and comments that we have received with our effort of trying to reduce the overwhelming amount of outstanding active warrants that are currently open. A warrant is issued when a person does not appear to court for their charges. At the moment, Portage County has over 3,000 active warrants in our system. We are working in an attentive fashion to significantly reduce the number of open cases at any given time.
To be clear and transparent, our postings are not designed nor intended to be an embarrassment to any of the individuals but rather this is being utilized as a tool to make another attempt to get the warrant closed and taken care of. Prior to posting, we made the attempt to call and send letters to the individuals that were posted on Facebook. Being aware of their warrant, they had the opportunity to take care of it in a timely fashion. Once the warrant is closed, their picture will be removed from the post within a reasonable amount of time.
If you know someone who has been posted on our page, we encourage you to reach out to them and recommend they take care of the warrant by calling Portage County Dispatch at (330) 296-5100.
Social media proved to be successful last Friday when we were able to locate a missing child within hours of being taken by his parents after failing to appear in court following an emergency custody order from Job and Family Services. As a result, the child was found and brought to safety. We will continue to use our social media platform to assist us and keep residents informed. We ask that you continue to monitor our page for upcoming postings as we continue to work diligently to protect the people of Portage County.
Under the leadership of Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski, our department is committed to serious and effective law enforcement. We understand the importance of living in a safe community and strive to deliver superior service to our residents. With that, law and order within our community has been and will continue to be a cardinal principle of our agency. On behalf of the Portage County Sheriff's Office, we thank you for your support and look forward to serving you in the future.
Respectfully,
Ralph Spidalieri
Chief Deputy, Portage County Sheriff’s Office