2019-Implementation of Sheridan County’s 24-7 Sobriety Program 
 

Undersheriff Dominguez and Detention Lieutenant Emily Heizer (Ret.) worked together to implement the 24-7 Sobriety Program in Sheridan County which was modeled after Campbell County’s successful program. The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Sheridan Police Department to provide Portable Breath Testing (PBT) to individuals within our community who are charged with crimes as a result of alcohol abuse. The program allows individuals to remain out of jail so they can continue to work and provide for their families and be active and productive members of our community.

 

2020-Implementation of Body Worn Cameras (BWC)/Replace Outdated In-Car Camera (Dash Cam) System
 

At the time Undersheriff Dominguez was promoted in 2019, the sheriff’s office’s In-Car Camera system was outdated and no longer supported by the vendor, Panasonic. After a year's long work of research and budgeting, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office implemented the integrated WatchGuard Body Worn Camera and In-Car Camera system. Undersheriff Dominguez wrote and implemented a new BWC/In-Car Camera policy for patrol and detention deputies. 

 

2021/2022-Additional School Resource Officer (SRO) for Sheridan County School District 1
 

In 2020, Sheridan County School District 1 (SCSD1) approached Sheriff Thompson and Undersheriff Dominguez and requested two SRO’s be dedicated to their campuses; one in the Tongue River Valley and one in Big Horn. SCSD1 was willing to fund 83% of the salary and benefits package for the two SRO’s. After discussion, an agreement was made between the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and SCSD1. Because the district was able to fund 83% of the salary/benefit package of two SRO’s, the sheriff’s office was able to hire an additional deputy so there would not be a gap within the patrol operations by adding a second deputy into the schools. 

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This partnership has not only benefited SCSD1, but has also benefited Sheridan County School District 3 and the Story Elementary School within Sheridan County School District 2. By adding a second SRO, patrol deputies are now able to visit and spend more time at Story Elementary and school district 3.

 

2021-Dedicated Livestock Patrol within Sheridan County
 

In 2017 the Wyoming Livestock Board’s budget was greatly reduced which resulted in over a 50% reduction to the number of Livestock Investigators across the state. While livestock crimes are a small number of what a sheriff’s office investigates, even a few livestock crimes can be very detrimental to local ranchers and producers. In 2019, the sheriff’s office saw an uptick in livestock crimes and increased crime activity in the rural areas of Sheridan County. 

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In July of 2021, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Livestock Board entered into an agreement that allows extra patrol for deputies to focus on the rural ranch community utilizing funds from the Wyoming Livestock Board. Because of this partnership, deputies are able to provide targeted livestock patrols in all of Sheridan County, especially the border of Montana, summer and fall livestock ranges and any other identified areas. Livestock Patrol has been very beneficial for our county, because it allows the sheriff’s office to primarily focus on patrolling county and rural roads, being more visible and deterring crime while making meaningful contacts with our rural community.

 

Present-Replace Patrol Division Portable Radios and Detention and Patrol Mobile (Vehicle) Radios
 

The sheriff’s office’s portable radios within the patrol division and both detention and patrol mobile radios are nearly 20 years old. Motorola has since stopped manufacturing replacement parts for the radios. At the end of 2021, Undersheriff Dominguez wrote and secured a grant to assist with funding to replace the sheriff’s office radios. The remainder of the cost will be funded by Sheridan County as a result of the close working relationship Undersheriff Dominguez and Sheriff Thompson have with the county commissioners.

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Undersheriff Dominguez has put together a comprehensive plan to replace the office’s radios utilizing the most up-to-date technological communications systems. The new portable radios will be equipped with WiFi capabilities, smart connect (Cell Service), and the ability to program the radios in the field. The mobile radios will have a built in repeater system. This technology allows deputies, who are unable to get service solely by using their portable radios, to link their portable radios with their mobile radios. This system acts as a repeater system and will greatly increase deputy safety while patrolling Sheridan County’s 2,500 square miles.  

 

Present-Renovating and Completing the Sheriff’s Office Basement
 

The basement within the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office has never been finished and is mostly in its original 1982 state. It is essentially an open area utilized as a conference room, custody and control training area, and a makeshift Emergency Operations Center (EOC). At one point, the sheriff’s office was the only facility in Sheridan County that had a custody and control training area. Local, state and federal agencies in Sheridan County frequently use the sheriff’s office custody and control training area. When this occurs, no other part of the basement can be utilized.

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Sheriff Thompson and Undersheriff Dominguez have envisioned the basement renovation for the past 4 years in order to utilize the space in a more practical way. At the beginning of 2022, The Sheridan County Commissioners gave the sheriff’s office the green light to plan for the renovation. The expected project completion date is the end of 2022 or early 2023. The renovation will include a training/conference room, three separate offices, a soft interview room to speak with victims, and a separate training room for custody and control. This will allow the sheriff’s office to utilize different spaces within the basement at the same time and host  training for law enforcement and community purposes.