The Badge

Flag from Iraq

 

 

• 
• 
• 
• 

St. Clair County Sheriff's Dept. Master Sergeant George D. Mokriakow poses with a United States flag he presented to St. Clair County Department. Morkriakow is also a First Lieutenant with the Air Force Reserve, with the 932nd Airlift Wing based out of Scott Air Force Base, and the flag was flown during an air medical evacuation mission on the 21st of November 2011. The flag will be displayed in the lobby of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department in Belleville. Mokriakow is a descendant of William Biggs the first Sheriff of St. Clair County. photo by Zia Nizami photo by Zia Nizami–|Zia Nizami/BND

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2012/01/25/2031818/flag-from-iraq.html#storylink=cpy

 

Ex-East St. Louis officer, 95, recalls old times

BY WALLY SPIERS - News-Democrat

Sheriff Mearl Justus' dinner for retired law enforcement officers on Thursday at the St. Clair County Jail produced a lot of camaraderie.

"It's a chance to get together, see people you haven't seen for a long time and talk about old times," Justus told the crowd.

The dinner attracts men and women from the Sheriff's Department, the Illinois State Police and police departments from surrounding towns.

Justus introduced this year's honored guest, Tommy O'Brien, 95, a longtime East St. Louis police officer and a friend of many in the crowd.

O'Brien said he retired from that department sometime in the early 1960s as a lieutenant colonel and the assistant police chief.

He now lives in Grand Manor in Swansea.

"I had five children, I had to work after I retired," he said.

With Justus' help, he said he got a job in security with Cerro Copper and later worked at the East St. Louis Federal Courthouse.

O'Brien joined the East St. Louis Police Department in 1939, he said.

"It was the height of the Depression. I needed a job. I tried for two years to get on at the fire department. When I came up, they switched me to the police department," he said.

He survived a long and distinguished career, which nearly ended one Christmas Eve at the old Broadview Hotel. It most likely was 1958 when he was 42, he said.

"We got a call about a guy in a room with a gun," O'Brien said. "We walked in the room and he had a gun in his hand. We were talking him out. My partner grabbed him and was struggling with him."

Still the man managed to shoot O'Brien five times, with one bullet missing an artery in his leg by just a whisker the doctors said.

Tommy said he figured that relieved him of his duty to hold fire so he shot and killed the man.

"He must have been mental," Tommy said.

Bob Frisse, another retired East St. Louis police officer, said Tommy had a phenomenal memory.

"If you brought a guy in and he saw him, he could remember where he had seen him in our book before," Frisse said. "He is a legend."

Have a column idea? Call Wally at 239-2506 or 800-642-3878; or email: wspiers@bnd.com

Read more: http://www.bnd.com/2011/12/16/1981700/ex-east-st-louis-officer-95-recalls.html#ixzz1gi2tWiOX

Sheriff’s Auction 2010

 

Photo preview of Wednesday’s auction of surplus and unclaimed property.

Vehicles are on display  at the front entrance to the jail.

Download the flyer here.

High-lite of the auction

2003 Mustang Cobra
One of 2200
Supercharged 

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

6:00 pm

700 North Fifth Street
Belleville, IL 62220

Lindenwood offers free tuition for work: Security tradeoff aids cops, university

BY SCOTT WUERZ - News-Democrat

BELLEVILLE -- With an influx of students at its West Main Street campus, Lindenwood University suddenly found itself in need of more security than its staff could offer.

So the school has  struck a deal with Belleville police and the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department that allows officers to volunteer their free time as security officers at the school. If they work a minimum of 10 hours a week, they get free tuition at Lindenwood.

A good old fashioned corn boilin'

Sheriff Justus held two old fashioned Corn Boilin's this week. Fresh corn was boiled with water super heated by an antique steam tractor. Served with fresh tomatoes and hoe cakes. Senior citizens from around the county were invited.

More photos here.

Guns ‘n Hoses Softball 2

Join us for the Second Guns ‘n Hoses Softball Tournament

Police vs. Firefighters!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Doors open at 3:30 PM.

Tickets are $10.00 and the proceeds benefit the Backstoppers.

Last year’s tournament raised over $5000.00!

Tickets will be available at the box-office on the day of the game.

Guns and Hoses Softball

Save the date. Saturday, August 28, 2010. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the BackStoppers! Last year we raised $5000.00.

Matthew Dobler: Deputy of the year

Bruce Morrison Deputy of the year

Nominated by Captain Steven Johnson

The Deputy of the Year award is frequently given to outstanding Deputies who not only performed above and beyond in one act but made it their mode of operation throughout the entire year. Inv. Dobler is no exception to this. There are too many cases to talk about each one in which he went above and beyond, personally and professionally, while helping people or solving criminal cases. A snapshot of this is the 234 criminal felony cases he was assigned in 2009. Some detectives may go an entire career without being assigned that many cases to work, especially since they were all felony cases and many with suspects. Inv. Dobler worked very hard to achieve an amazing 52% clearance rate.

Rod Wilson: Correctional Officer of the year

Bruce Morrison, Correctional Officer of the Year

Nominated by Lt. Regina Ray & A/Sgt. Xavier Blackburn

Correctional Officer Rodney Wilson has never forgotten why he became an Officer of the Law. He is an efficient, professional and dedicated Correctional Officer. His pursuit for justice and his caring attitude has made him a strong leader within the Sheriff’s Department.

Officer Wilson works diligently and efficiently under the strenuous work load mandated in the Correctional Division. During his years of service he has served as a Training Officer in Corrections and as a member of the S.O.R.T team.

Biggest Loser 2009

For the second year in a row employees of the Sheriff's Department were challenged to loose weight. Every Friday for the last three months they weighed-in and followed their progress. Some found that the  weight loss came easily, others struggled. But in the end everybody was a winner. Together they lost 542 pounds!

Officer Ken Clayton lost 65 pounds to become our Biggest Looser for 2009. Officer  Yvonne McCall won second place, and Marquita McCain came in third.

Sheriff Justus presented Clayton with a 'check' live on KTVI Fox Two with John Pertzborne.