Recently the Kiowa County Independent took the opportunity to sit down with the Kiowa County Undersheriff, Kayla Murdock to discuss some concerns that had been brought to our attention by concerned community citizens.
The Independent was informed there was a possibility there has been an uptick in community theft and crime. Multiple reports of events that not only had those who reported to us concerned, but also triggered concern for the Independent as well.
Undersheriff Murdock showed the highest level of professionalism and transparency when addressing the list of alleged crimes that have occurred, and was able to “debunk” the vast majority of them and even went so far as giving the official redacted call reports from the Sheriff’s Office for the last 3-months. Murdock states that the Sheriff’s Office has heard rumor of things that may have happened but the victim or the property owners are simply not turning these incidents into the Sheriff’s Office.
Because there is no report to the Sheriff’s Office there is no report made by the Sheriff’s Office therefore, there cannot be an investigation into what or who may to be to blame for the incidences.
Undersheriff Murdock explained, “It’s vital that the community make a report to the Sheriff’s Office if they notice anything missing or disturbed on their property because even if it is something small that you may feel silly reporting, we can sometimes use that report to draw connections to other cases.”
Community members worry that our small towns will someday soon be faced with some of the same issues in which larger counties and towns deal with. As we see more people moving into our towns with minimal to no connections to the land or any of the people some worry that those people are here for nefarious reasons and attribute any possibility of crime to people who have recently moved into the area.
Murdock explained, “It is not a crime to look suspicious or to be new in town and even to be down on your luck.” However, Murdock went on to say, “If you see something, say something. This goes back to reporting issues to the authorities instead of to your neighbor or to a close friend.”
Murdock had a few suggestions to anyone who may feel unsettled, “People need to be sure that they lock their doors to both their homes and their vehicles at night especially, also leave lights on at night such as a porch light or invest in motion activated lights to act as a deterrent to any possible thief. Lastly, Murdock suggested that anyone who feels unsafe should invest in real working security cameras that are plugged in and recording. Decoy cameras are easy to spot for a thief who really wants in, ensure that your cameras are on and ready if the time ever comes that you need them.”
The Kiowa County deputies and Undersheriff are always hard at work responding to each call that comes in, keeping up on training, as well as their paperwork. They assist with fire and ambulance calls and also take time to engage in the community. Most recently Deputy Jonah West and K9 Deputy Avery Snover along with Apex, spent some time at the Eads Schools introducing Apex to the students so they can grow to feel comfortable in his presence. The Deputies also enjoyed channeling their inner child by reading stories and coloring pictures with some of the elementary students.
As a testament to the transparency that the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office possesses, Undersheriff Murdock posts monthly reports with all calls, traffic stops, and arrests outside the door of the Sheriff’s Office at the court house. These same reports are also available at the request of any citizen who is concerned that they may be something going on that they wish to be informed about. If you wish to contact the Sheriff’s Office to obtain these reports or report theft or suspicious activity you can call them at 719-438-5411.
In the wake of an accident leaving Sheriff Forest Frazee incapacitated, Undersheriff Murdock, the deputies and other staff have held strong and worked together to continue to serve and protect the Kiowa County Communities. In just over 1 month the Sherrif Elect Bryan Williams will take over the reins of the Sheriff’s Office, we are excited to see that the same level of integrity, transparency, and community dedication that we have come to know over the last several months will continue.
