The Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division is lead by a lieutenant and staffed with four sergeants, four corporals, and 11 patrol deputies. The Sheriff's Office patrols more than 700 miles of road and has 850 square miles within its jurisdiction, including two major U.S. Highways (95 and 12). Eight different towns are included within this area. The county is very diverse ranging from urban to rural to wilderness.
Nez Perce County Sheriff’s deputies patrol 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. Deputies work 10 hours per day, four days per week on one of three shifts--day, swing, or graveyard. These schedules do not include special assignments and extra duty. Current calls for service are estimated to 12,180 calls per year including self-initiated contacts. This works out to around 33.3 calls per day, everyday.
The regional S.W.A.T. Team has the full capability to handle virtually any event that calls for specialized weapons and high-risk response tactics. They use a variety of tools, many of which are designed to provide options that successfully conclude a dangerous event without anyone being harmed. They respond to and deal with individuals or groups who pose an unusual danger to others or events that require the quick response of a lot of additional manpower. This team is made up from members of the Lewiston Police Department, Nez Perce County Sheriff's Office and the Clarkston Police Department.
RECREATIONAL SAFETY DIVISION
The Recreational Safety Division consists of law enforcement personnel committed to patrolling specific areas and responsible for monitoring the actions of the public during outdoor recreation in Nez Perce County. The division has four primary operations.
Waterways: Waterways consists of patrolling the waterways within the jurisdiction of Nez Perce County. These include the Clearwater, Snake, and Salmon Rivers along with Mann Lake, Waha Lake and Soldiers Meadows Reservoir. The equipment utilized are jet boats, personal watercraft (PWC) and rafts. Law violations are enforced and personal assistance and information is given to the public as needed. Patrol is in effect for the general boating season from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and continues year-round as needed for fishing seasons or special river events.
Dive Team: The dive team consists of five certified SCUBA divers. Their function is rescue and recovery on the rivers. On occasion, the dive team participates in the location and recovery of potential criminal evidence in the water. Divers utilize jet boats and personal watercraft with sleds to accomplish their missions.
Mountain Patrol: Mountain Patrol is responsible for patrolling in the areas of higher elevation south of Lewiston, the area known as Craig Mountain. Patrol maintains a safe environment for the public to recreate in the area and protect private property. In those areas where conventional vehicles cannot access, off-road vehicles and snowmobiles are used. During the time of year when snow prohibits free access to all of the areas snowmobiles are utilized and teamwork is established with local snowmobile groups to ensure efficient operation in the area.
Search and Rescue: The RSD maintains and coordinates with the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Posses for search and rescue and special operations:
- Horse (Mounted)
- Air
- Mechanized (ATV)