Sheriff's Office543 2nd Street • Columbus, IN 47201 HistoryThe Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office is an arm of county government dedicated to public safety and service. Founded with the election of the first sheriff in 1818, the office has developed from a lone elected sheriff to a modern agency with thirty-six deputies and civilian employees. The process of growth and expansion of the community did not mirror the development of the sheriff's office. During the 19th century, the county grew beyond all recognition. The population grew dramatically with the advent of rail service and the latter industrialization of the post civil war era. Regardless of the counties growth, the office of sheriff continued to revolve around a small jail and the assistance of a deputy. While Bartholomew County was not a boomtown of the old west, it was witness to the period of lawlessness that was so well known in Missouri, Kansas and beyond. The world's first train robbery happened only an afternoons ride away in 1867? The infamous Reno gang set the pattern for nearly all of the outlaw gangs that followed. Larger and more feared than any gang before or after, they held sway over a large part of the state. Sixty years later another outlaw from Indiana and his gang reinvented the outlaw image and popularized the term "gangster". John Dillinger, from nearby Mooresville Indiana went from juvenile offender to erstwhile criminal and eventually to be the very first Public Enemy #1. The threat posed by the Dillinger gang was very real indeed. Robbing banks and raiding military armories for guns were the stock in trade of the gang. Police agencies were poorly prepared to deal with this menace. Sheriff's in particular could count on no assistance if they confronted the Dillinger "super gang". The sheriff of Bartholomew County perhaps was luckier than most, he had his own Thompson sub-machinegun, with which to face the likes of Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson and Homer VanMeter. Like all well-known outlaws, they soon faded from the scene but only after considerable bloodshed. Of course, the day to day activities of the sheriff rarely called on him to chase train robbers or face gangsters; rather he usually had his hands full with the more mundane tasks. These less glamorous tasks included keeping the peace, investigating theft, burglary, and even the occasional robbery and murder. This is to say nothing of serving the courts criminal warrants, civil papers, and looking after a jail full of prisoners. Not until the post World War II era did the office of sheriff begin to take shape in a manner that would be recognizable today. Very slowly, deputies were added to the office. Very slowly indeed, because by 1971 the office still had less than 10 deputies. 1971 was also a watershed point on the development of all sheriffs' offices in Indiana. The Indiana legislature passed a law that reformed the old policy of political appointment with a merit system and the appointment of a board to help proffesionalize the office. The creation of a law enforcement academy and standards for all officers, also made for dramatic changes. Other changes had already occurred by this point. The advent of police radios for many agencies occurs in the late 1940s and the early 50s. Together with the automobile in the early part of the century, changed public safety as nothing has before or since. For many years, the sheriff drove his own car when engaged in his official duties. This continued until the late 1950s when the first county owned and marked patrol cars were put into service. The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office is the arm of county government dedicated to public safety and service. Founded with the appointment of the first sheriff in 1821, the office has developed into a modern professional agency. A lot has happened since that first sheriff was appointed. In 1821 Indiana was the on western frontier of the nation. A few rude cabins and homes scattered along the confluence of the White, Driftwood, and Flat Rock rivers have given was to a dynamic and affluent community. Known internationally as a center for architecture and multi-national corporations, there is little left of those pioneering days. Strangely, the growth of the sheriff's office did not mirror that of the county. Through the 19th century and well into the middle of the 20th, the office of sheriff was little changed from its inception. The sheriff went about his duties with little or no assistance. Deputy sheriffs tended to be a very scarce resource and when available they were temporary and or volunteer. It was not until the post World War II era that the office began to take on a form that is recognizable today. Slowly, deputies were added to the department. Very slowly indeed, because by 1970 the office still had less than a dozen employees. The Sheriff of Bartholomew County is elected by a popular vote conducted every four years. The sheriff may only be elected twice in succession under the state constitution. He or she may however be elected for additional non-consecutive terms. In the 180 years since the first sheriff was appointed by the governor, fifty-three different sheriffs have served. While Bartholomew County was not a cow or boomtown of the type popularized in film, it was witness to the period of lawlessness that common to the frontier in the 19th century. The world's first train robbery occurred in 1867 only an afternoon's ride from Columbus. The infamous Reno gang set the pattern for all of the outlaw gangs that would follow. Larger and more feared than any gang before or since, they held sway over a large portion of the state. Even the frontier custom of lynching and "legal hangins" was not unknown to the area. The depression of the 1930s was the scene of a return of the "outlaw gang" to the area. John Dillinger, from nearby Mooresville Indiana made the leap from petty criminal to the very first public enemy #1. Along with Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Buy Floyd, Homer Van Meter, and a host of lesser criminals they terrorized Indiana and a good part of the mid-west United States. Their legacy to the annals of crime resides in the term "gangster". By the early 1970s thing began to change for the office of sheriff. The state legislature passed a law that did away with the patronage system for hiring deputies, and mandated the appointment of a board to help professionalize the office. The creation of a law enforcement academy and standards for all officers also represent a watershed point in the history of the department. Other changes were already taking place within law enforcement and they began to have their impact on the office. Today the department has resources and capabilities far beyond those ever imagined by the sheriffs' of old. A full time detective bureau grew out of the appointment of the first full time detective in 1971. The patrol division of the department has the latest and best equipment available. The jail, once also the home of the sheriff is now staffed by a well-trained cadre of civilian officers who are supervised by regular deputies. Training for all employees is extensive and comprehensive.
Log jails were built in 1821 and 1832. They were followed by a more substantial structure that lasted from 1842 until 1870. By 1870 it had been replace with a brick structure that matched the new county courthouse. This building was demolished and replaced with a modern jail of contemporary appearance in 1963. Finally, because of overcrowding and no means of expansion, a new jail was constructed away from the traditional jail site. In 1991 the new jail was occupied. Its facilities represent the latest thinking in confinement and reform. The new jail also lives up to the reputation that Columbus enjoys as a center for architecture.
Above is a view of the Jail area of the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department. Erected in 1990, the Jail was designed by Don M. Hisaka. It includes 5 cellblocks containing a total of 60 cells. It has a Medical Wing with an Examination Room, Suicide Prevention Room, Infirmary Room, and 2 bunks. A Holding area includes 5 cells and a Booking Area and can house 26 temporary inmates. The Jail houses on average 145 inmates daily consisting of detainees awaiting court, pre and post sentencing detainees, and detainees awaiting transfer to the Indiana Department of Corrections. The Jail Staff consists of a Merit Lieutenant, Sergeant, and 2 Corporals. There are 6 other Merit Deputies assigned to the Jail including a Transport Officer, 2 Court Security Officers, and regular Jail duties. There are also Civilian Corrections Officers including a Sergeant and 3 Corporals, plus other full and part time Corrections staff.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department was created by an act of the Indiana State Legislature in 1821. Indiana was part of the Northwest Territory and became a state in 1816. At that time the state capital was at Corydon, located on the Ohio River in the southern part of the state. Little settlement had begun north of the 10 O'clock Treaty Line. General's Joseph Bartholomew and John Tipton surveyed and purchased land at the confluence of what became the Driftwood and Flatrock Rivers that formed the East Fork of the White River approximately 75 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky. Several other pioneers joined in their venture and Bartholomew County was laid out and organized, being named in honor of General Bartholomew. The County Seat was originally named Tiptona in honor of General Tipton but a small disagreement led to the town being renamed Columbus. Following is a list of the past Sheriff's and the years during which they served our county:
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