Henry County sheriff reports 1,337 calls in January, outlines training and CIT expansion

The Henry County Sheriff's Office told commissioners on Feb. 17 that January was a busy month, with hundreds of calls, multiple arrests and expanded training activity.

"January was, very busy. I had 1,337 calls for service," the sheriff reported in his monthly summary, and the report included 117 incident reports, 36 arrests, 327 traffic stops and 3,500 courthouse visitors during the month. The sheriff said the office added two part-time positions to support evidence handling and cardiac-related duties and expects several new vehicles to arrive in coming weeks.

The office also emphasized behavioral-health response work. Sheriff's staff said they plan to host two Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) basic trainings in Henry County this year to improve coordinated responses among law enforcement, behavioral-health liaisons and medical providers. The sheriff said the county's area CIT council covers Henry and Saint Clair counties and reported 10 community behavioral-health referrals in January; staff said roughly 70% accepted services after referral.

On corrections, the jail averaged 88 inmates in January and held 103 on the meeting day. Staff said delays in state psychiatric-bed placements remain a statewide problem and that the county is performing court-ordered transports and working with hospitals and the judge to complete evaluations and paperwork.

Detective and investigative units reported increased cyber/specialized investigations, international leads on some financial/cybercrime matters, and more subpoenas issued in January than typical months. The sheriff's office said it would expand narcotics enforcement and criminal-apprehension efforts in 2026.

The report also noted equipment and grant-funded items: 13 replacement computers, covert radio earpieces, tourniquet cases and license-plate readers (LPRs) scheduled for delivery. A local Blue Shield grant fund paid for several of the upgrades, the sheriff said.

What happens next: The sheriff plans to continue monthly reporting, schedule CIT trainings and deploy planned equipment when it arrives; the county will track transport and bed-placement issues that affect jail population and resources.