Porter County Sheriff's Office

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Valparaiso, IN
Porter County Sheriff's Office

The Official page for the Porter County Sheriff’s Office

The Porter County Sheriff’s Department is committed to protect the lives, property and rights of all people, to maintain order, and to enforce the laws. The Porter County Sheriff’s Department will strive to accomplish this mission by setting goals and objectives and practicing the values of the Department. The Porter County Sheriff’s Department is responsible for the professional care and custody

of those confined in our jail, the security of our courts and the prompt investigation of crime when it occurs. It is our mission to improve and maintain the quality of life we enjoy and to ensure that our county is a safe place to live, work, and visit. We are totally dedicated to this mission, to the County we serve, and to accepting the responsibility of attaining our goal of achieving excellence within our profession.

08/15/2024

If you get a moment check out our new page dedicated to our K9 Team!

08/14/2024

It’s official! School is back in session - we’d like to remind everyone to keep your eyes on the road and pay attention to the school zones and stop arms on your daily commute.

Remember that for school buses. Let’s make ‘24-25 a great school year together!

08/13/2024

We are currently accepting applications for Jail Officer positions - If you can see yourself working hard in our team environment, please turn in an application!

This is also a wonderful opportunity for those looking to become a Police Officer. Many agencies routinely hire from our Jail. In addition, many of our own Officers started in the Jail Division.

08/12/2024

Congratulations to Olivia, Isabella, Blaine, and Grant (not pictured) on winning the Spikeball Raffle from the Porter County Fair!

Thank you to our fantastic sponsors for making this happen year in and year out!

08/09/2024

Our time at the Dunes for the Kids Camp was awesome - 10 years of Camps has flown by! We had a great time with this group of kids and were thankful each of you trusted them with us for a few days! Have a great Friday!

08/08/2024

Day 2 of the Kids Camp was awesome and we hope you enjoy some more pictures from our time together! Dunes Challenge is first on the menu for today!

Thanks to Skyline Snowie for delicious snow cones!!

08/07/2024

National Night Out was a blast and we’re kicking off Day 2 of Kids Camp at the Dunes with a sunny morning! Have a great Wednesday!

08/07/2024

The first day of the 10th Annual Northwest Regional Sheriff’s Kids Camp is in the books and we are ready to go for tomorrow! Enjoy your evening!

08/02/2024

On Tuesday evening, Sheriff Balon was honored to sit on a discussion panel at the Safe Coalition for Human Rights “UN World Day Against Trafficking in Persons” event in Merrillville, IN.

The panel discussed the different forms of human trafficking, how it impacts our Region, and how we are fighting it. Thank you for having us!

07/31/2024

20 years ago Commander Jason Praschak started working in our Jail Division and was later hired by our Patrol Division. Congratulations on reaching 20 years of service! Our Office wouldn’t be what it is without you!

07/25/2024

We are Hiring Jail Officers and Police Officers! Head to portercountysheriff.com for applications! Both Divisions have openings and the PT / Written Test for Patrol will be in October so don’t delay!

07/23/2024

6 days down and 4 to go! Days at the fair are going quick! Be sure to stop in and sign up for the Spikeball giveaway thanks to some wonderful sponsors!

07/20/2024

The third day of the Fair is going great! We hope your weekend is fantastic!

07/20/2024

**Intersection has been reopened**

Please avoid the intersection of Division Road and Sturdy Road. We had a serious crash in this area and Porter County Reconstruction Team is enroute to investigate. We will update this post once the intersection is reopened. Thank you.

07/18/2024

Commander Praschak, K9 Porter, and Sgt McFalls had a great time at a Touch a Truck event this past Saturday at Sunset Hills Park. This week we are gearing up for the Porter County Fair and hope to see you there!

07/16/2024

We have been receiving reports that citizens have been getting telephone calls in which people were fraudulently claiming to be Law Enforcement Officials recently. Sometimes callers can mask the caller ID information to make it appear as if the call is coming from a police department or other government entity.

If you receive a call from a person claiming to be one of our Officers and are concerned they are not who they say they are, please hang up and call 219-477-3170 to verify their identity.

If you receive a call from a person claiming to be an Officer with another agency and are suspicious, please hang up and call that agency directly to verify their identity.

Our Officers would never call you demanding your social security number, date of birth, bank account information, or telling you to pay a fee to avoid an arrest.

07/15/2024

On Friday, our Office had the honor of being one of the pit stops for the Cops Cycling for Survivors on their 13 day journey across the State of Indiana. Representing our Office again this year was Cpl. Reeder - we are proud of your effort and dedication to this great cause!

07/04/2024

Happy Fourth of July from all of us at the Sheriffs Office! Have a great day!

07/02/2024

The Sheriff’s Office is excited to announce that our Porter County LOSS (Local Outreach to Su***de Survivors) Team is now fully active. The LOSS Team consists of survivors who have lost loved ones to su***de, chaplains, clinicians, and social workers. The team exists to provide support and resources to families after a su***de. Thank you to all of our LOSS Team volunteers for what you do to support the Community!

06/28/2024

Our Sheriff’s Office was honored to be involved with the Summer of Recovery Tour in Porter County this year! We enjoyed the opportunity to share information about our Police Assisted Recovery Initiative and Wellness Division. The event was an excellent celebration of the recovery community, a great way to promote the various resources we have available in Porter County and beyond, and a testament to the power of collaboration and connection in our Community.

06/27/2024

Yesterday, Ofc. Djokic, K9 Nova, and Sgt. McFalls were invited to visit Learning Tree Academy in South Haven. The kids were wonderful and Nova showed some of her capabilities that impressed all attendees. Thanks for having us!

06/19/2024

Today is Juneteenth, the 19th day in June, that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. We hope you are enjoying this beautiful holiday with those that mean the most to you!

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day! Have a great Sunday!

06/14/2024

Happy Flag Day! We were enjoying some time at the Health Fair at Central Park this afternoon. It was great seeing everyone and we’re thankful for such a beautiful day! Have a wonderful weekend!

06/12/2024

Please see the following post from the Expo Center regarding a scam. Thank you!

Allegheny County Police issued a scam report on Monday for a fake prepaid hot air balloon show in South Park. According to police, as many as 15 ticket...

06/11/2024

Good morning, please see the attachment from the American Red Cross reference an upcoming ‘Fallen Officer Blood Drive’ at the Porter County Expo Center on June 18, 2024. We hope to see you there!

06/10/2024

Good morning and happy Monday! Yesterday, Touch a Truck at Central Park was a blast! K9 Porter, Commander Praschak, Ofc. Schafer, and Sgt McFalls were all along for the event. We hope you have a great start to your week!

06/07/2024

Earlier this week, Department Members gathered at a Health Expo at Central Park Plaza organized by Porter County Triad. Detective Lt. Dziedzinski was honored to present about Project Lifesaver (see our pinned post for more information) to all that were in attendance.

We then had a demonstration showing how the technology works by using it to locate Mayor Costas and K9 Nova also displayed her great tracking ability by finding Sheriff Balon.

It was another fantastic day being with our Community and we hope you enjoy some of the pictures! Have a wonderful weekend!

Valpo Parks

06/06/2024

We are excited to announce that as of yesterday, Officers Tumidalsky and Bauer have successfully completed all of their Field Training to now begin solo Patrol in our County! Both have worked incredibly hard to get to this point and we are very proud of their efforts. The best is yet to come for each of them!

Enjoy a few pictures from their release ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.

05/31/2024

Address

2755 St Road 49
Valparaiso, IN
46383

Website

http://www.portercountysheriff.com/

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Videos

Happy Fourth of July from all of us at the Sheriffs Office! Have a great day!

Congratulations to Jail Officer Hinshaw and Cpl. Reeder on reaching 10 and 15 years with our Agency! Both have served in multiple roles in their respective divisions and have excelled in everything they have pursued! We are proud to have each of you in our Sheriff’s Office Family!

On National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day we want to take a moment and recognize our exemplary full time SROs! Officer Knapp, Officer Kurz, and Cpl Steege are in our schools daily along with other full time and part time SROs across many schools in our County. These Officers answer one of the most important calls for service in our Country - protecting our Children. Being an SRO also goes beyond that, building trust and bringing a positive outlook on life and a student’s future. We are grateful for each of you!

We are seeking the public’s assistance reference a theft and unauthorized use of a credit card on 3/21/2023. If you have any information reference this incident please contact Detective Spicer at 219-477-3138. Thank you!

The Porter County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the assistance of the public reference a fraud that occurred in late February 2023. If you recognize the individual or vehicle in the following pictures, please ‘Submit a Tip’ or call Commander Jones at 219-477-3141. Thank you!

Polar Plunge 2021 was a success! There have been quite a few changes since I hit this water one year ago in the world around us, but the importance of showing these amazing Special Olympic Athletes what they mean to us will never change. Thank you to all that donated to this great cause - looking forward to more events this year! Sincerely - Cpl Benjamin McFalls Special Olympics Indiana

Friendly reminder - please always lock the doors of your vehicle and bring valuables inside your home, this includes the keys to the vehicle, cash, and firearms. Regarding your home, please always lock your doors at night and when you’re away. Security cameras can be found at relatively low prices. These cameras can also aid in the investigation if a crime occurs.

Please take a moment and watch this video explaining Project Lifesaver. Project Lifesaver is a great program used for seniors and people with special needs who may wander off and become lost. “Bringing your loved ones home” is our ultimate goal. Special thanks to JBH Productions, Inc. for helping us bring this project to life!

Earlier today at the Porter County Sheriff’s Office our Honor Guard conducted a Wreath Laying Ceremony in Honor of Fallen Officers. Special thanks to Alex Rodriguez who played Amazing Grace and also Chaplain Birky for speaking.

On Saturday, 4/4/2020, Cpl. McFalls was honored to be invited to read a book aloud for Washington Township Elementary School by incoming Principal Kaufman. Reading aloud to students is proven to improve reading skills, build vocabulary, and encourages a love of reading. The video was placed on the school’s eLearning website today and we thought we’d share here. The book is for Kindergarten / First Grade level reading. We hope you enjoy! Scholastic

This morning, Lt. Van Kley and Cpl. McFalls participated in a short surprise “Happy Birthday” parade. As we all can imagine having to postpone a Birthday party would be quite a bummer, so sometimes it’s the little gestures that count. Jackson, Grant, Bella, Sophia, Adeline, and Arianna we want to wish each of you a Happy Birthday and hope you have a great day with your families!

Today was the last shift for Lt. Chavez at the Porter County Sheriff’s Office. His final 10-42 is below. Lt. Chavez’s Wife, Laura, who is also the Detective Bureau’s Administrative Assistant, surprised him by answering his call from the Porter County Dispatch Center. Thank you again #67 for all the great memories, you will be missed!