White County Indiana Sheriff's Office

06/04/2026

Update!!!! Suspect is back in custody.

I want to personally thank Officers from the Monticello Police Department, Reynolds Police Department, Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Monon Police Department, Chalmers Police Department, Lafayette Police Department, and the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office for their assistance in capturing Abner Morales Martinez

Sheriff Bill Brooks

Urgent for Release:

At approximately 1 pm Inmate Abner Morales Martinez, 35yr old Hispanic male, home address in Chicago was able to manipulate the locks on an exterior security door and escape the White County Jail.

Note: Martinez was incarcerated in our facility on a White County warrant for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

There is a large police presence in the Monticello area seeking the location of Martinez at this time.

Please call 911 if you have any information or have seen Martinez.

Sheriff Bill Brooks

06/04/2026

Urgent for Release:

At approximately 1 pm Inmate Abner Morales Martinez, 35yr old Hispanic male, home address in Chicago was able to manipulate the locks on an exterior security door and escape the White County Jail.

Note: Martinez was incarcerated in our facility on a White County warrant for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

There is a large police presence in the Monticello area seeking the location of Martinez at this time.

Please call 911 if you have any information or have seen Martinez.

Sheriff Bill Brooks

05/13/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/13/2026

The White County Traffic Safety Partnership to increase patrols to target seatbelt enforcement.

White County, Indiana – The White County Traffic Safety Partnership is partnering with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) to urge Hoosiers to buckle up as part of the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign, a high-visibility enforcement effort focused on
increasing seatbelt use.

Beginning May 11 through May 31, 2026, officers will work overtime to ensure driversand passengers are using their seatbelts and children are properly secured. The overtime patrols are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through ICJI’s Comprehensive Highway Injury Reduction Program (CHIRP).

“Buckling up is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself and your loved ones on the road,” said Douglas Huntsinger, executive director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. “Seatbelts save lives every day, and every trip should begin with making sure everyone is secured before hitting the road.”

Since 2021, Indiana has seen a steady decline in fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants not wearing seatbelts. Seatbelt usage among Hoosiers has also increased, reaching 94.1% in 2025 according to the Annual Seat Belt Usage Survey conducted by
Purdue University Center for Road Safety in partnership with ICJI. This rate is above the national average of 91.2% usage in 2024.
“Too often, we see tragedies that could have been prevented with one simple click of a seatbelt,” said White County Sheriff Bill Brooks. “Buckling up isn’t just the law. It’s a responsibility that helps ensure you make it home safely.”

Indiana law requires drivers and all passengers to buckle up. Children under age eight must be properly restrained in a federally approved child car seat or booster seat.
Drivers can be cited for lack of seat belt use, but also for each unbuckled passenger under the age of 16.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to make sure children are in the right car seat and that it is used correctly and properly installed. Resources can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/TheRightSeat. To schedule an appointment with a certified car seat safety technician at one of Indiana’s 100 fitting stations, visit on.in.gov/SafeKids.

CHIRP is supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. For more information about ICJI’s traffic safety programs, visit www.in.gov/cji.

White County Sheriff,
Sheriff Bill Brooks

04/20/2026

Saturday K9 Deputy Kyle Lockhart and Deputy Justice Johnson spent time supporting the Get out and Go fest presented by our local Department of Child Services Office.

Here are a few pictures of Deputy Lockhart and K9 Venom demonstrating bite work and narcotics detection.

We are always happy to partner with our local partners.

Sheriff Bill Brooks

04/10/2026

Sheriff Bill Brooks is excited to announce the launch of our new mobile app, along with our updated website.

These platforms are newly released and still a work in progress as we continue to improve features and add content to better serve our community. We appreciate your patience and welcome feedback as we continue refining these tools.

Our app is designed to help keep our community informed, connected, and safe. Through the app, you can receive alerts, stay up to date on news and announcements, and quickly access important information and resources.

You can also visit our website for additional information and services:

https://www.sheriff.whitecounty.in.gov/

Check your app store for the White County Sheriff's Office app.
We encourage everyone in our community to download the app and stay connected with us.

03/27/2026

Sheriff Bill Brooks and the White County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Protecting K9 Heroes, an organization based out of Cedar Lake, IN. Protecting K9 Heroes provides law enforcement and military agencies with safety equipment to protect their K9’s. Each of the White County Sheriff’s Office K9 teams were provided with a first aid kit at no cost to our agency.

03/16/2026

White County Sheriff’s Office K9 Venom has received donation of
body armor

White County Sheriff’s Office, IN - K9 Venom has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Venom’s vest was embroidered with the sentiment “This gift of protection provided by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.”.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 6,348 vests valued at $6.9 million to K9s in all 50 states, made possible by both private and corporate donations.

The program is open to U.S. dogs at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $1,050 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1800.00, weighs an average of 4-5 lbs., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call (508) 824-
6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

03/09/2026

Today we have added a new tool to our toolbox in hopes we never have to use it.

LifeVac has designed this unit to assist in clearly airways that have become obstructed by objects. These systems can work for children and adults alike. Sheriff Bill Brooks has issued LifeVacs to each of our patrol Deputies, our Courthouse Security Officers, as well as our Correction staff.
To our knowledge we are the first organization to outfit our first responders with another tool to help save lives.

02/12/2026

Sheriff Bill Brooks wants to recognize the continued hard work and dedication to all of our officers here at the White County Sheriff's Office. Below you will find a synopsis of calendar year 2025 and the incredible work our Officers have done:

Calls for Service: 16,240
Reports Taken: 2,039
Traffic Stops Conducted: 4,573

Total arrests for 2025: 418

• Felony Arrests: 151
• Misdemeanor Arrests: 267
• Drug-Related Arrests: 162
• Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) Arrests: 130

Traffic Safety & Crash Response:

Deputies responded to 498 total accidents, including:
• 414 Property Damage Accidents
• 80 Personal Injury Accidents
• 4 Fatal Accidents

Traffic enforcement and proactive patrol efforts remain a priority in reducing dangerous driving behaviors and improving roadway safety across White County.

K-9 Unit Impact

The White County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit continued to be an invaluable asset in 2025, assisting in narcotics detection, suspect apprehension, tracking, and community demonstrations.
• 122 K-9 Related Arrests

Since the beginning of this administration in 2019, there have been 540 total K-9 related arrests, demonstrating the sustained effectiveness and importance of the K-9 program in enhancing public safety and enforcement efforts throughout White County.

The K-9 program remains a cornerstone of the department’s proactive enforcement efforts.

S*x & Violent Offender Registry Compliance

The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to monitoring and enforcing Indiana’s S*x and Violent Offender Registry requirements:

• 96 Total Registry Registrations
• 94 S*x and Violent Offender Home Verifications Conducted

These compliance checks are critical in maintaining transparency and community safety.

Deputy Training & Professional Development:

The White County Sheriff’s Office places a strong emphasis on professional development and ongoing training to ensure deputies are equipped with the most current knowledge, skills, and best practices in law enforcement.

In 2025, deputies completed a combined total of 2,605 training hours. These hours include advanced law enforcement training, fi****ms qualifications, legal updates, defensive tactics, emergency vehicle operations, crisis intervention, and specialized instruction.
Continued training ensures that deputies remain prepared to meet the evolving needs of the community while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and accountability.

Commitment to the Community:

Sheriff Brooks and the White County Sheriff’s Office remain dedicated to protecting life and property, upholding the Constitution, and serving with integrity. The 2025 statistics reflect not only enforcement activity but also the daily commitment of deputies, corrections officers, dispatchers, and civilian staff who work tirelessly on behalf of our community.

We thank the citizens of White County for their continued trust and support.

Sheriff Bill Brooks

01/16/2026

Sheriff Bill Brooks wants to inform all of our community about a break in service that is currently effecting both of our non emergency lines and our 911 system.