Jill Schramm/MDN Sheriff Robert Roed, left, addresses the Ward County Commission Tuesday. Commissioners shown are Jim Rostad, left, and Ron Merritt, right.

The Ward County Sheriff’s Department responded to a daily average of nearly 60 calls a day in 2024, according to its year-end report.

Sheriff Robert Roed described the 2024 numbers as fairly stable after a period of ups and downs with the oil boom and pandemic.

In 2024, there were 21,866 calls for service, an increase of 275 calls over 2023. However, the number of those calls related to domestic violence decreased last year, hitting a five-year low of 114 cases. The five-year peak of 222 cases occurred in 2020.

Traffic-related activity in the patrol division was down somewhat from 2023, although driving while intoxicated numbers were fairly steady. There were 151 DUI arrests last year. The report also notes the 75 pursuit incidents last year continues the higher numbers seen in recent years, but it was well below the 105 pursuit incidents in 2020.

The high number of fleeing incidents has been a concern across the state and an issue that has the attention of the state’s Attorney General, Roed said.

“It’s a legislative fight, trying to increase penalties,” he said.

Also impacting statistics over time he said, has been the reduction to infractions for certain incidents of marijuana possession or minor consumption of alcohol.

Jail statistics show the Ward County Detention Center booked 3,710 individuals in 2024, down 221 individuals from 2023 but the second highest total in the past five years. Inmate days, reflecting the number of prisoners times the number of days incarcerated, was 55,213.

Other statistics from the 2024 report include:

– 21 community crime prevention events attended by deputies.

– 31 requests for foreclosure sales.

– 72 K-9 deployments last year, resulting in 37 arrests.

– 288 evictions.

– 334 tax delinquent accounts for collection.

– 500 crashes investigated.

– 1,214 arrests.

– 2,653 warrants to be served.

– 8,008 pieces of civil process.

Jail statistics from 2024 include:

– 38 state prisoners near the end of their confinement engaged in a work release program through the jail, in a partnership with the North Dakota Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation.

– 78 juveniles housed in detention.

– 309 inmate transports, moving 415 people.

– $674,977 in inmate medical costs.

– $1.65 million collected from other agencies for housing their inmates.

Roed said the sheriff’s department is fully staffed, including both law enforcement and jail. While that isn’t the case across the state, Roed said the department has been fortunate and also may have seen benefits from recruitment incentives, such as assistance with moving costs. Through the state Back the Blue program approved by the 2023 Legislature, the department was able to provide incentive payments to new officers after six months and a year.