Codington County Sheriff Reports 579 September Calls, 187 Jail Bookings
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Codington County Sheriff Brad Howell presented his September 2026 monthly activity and financial report to the Codington County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, highlighting 579 calls for service, cross-country prisoner transports, jail population numbers, and an Officer of the Year award within the department.
According to Howell’s report, Codington County deputies responded to 579 calls for service and cases in September. Deputies completed 15 accident reports, served 65 warrants, served 208 civil papers, and logged 3,266 transport miles carrying 23 individuals.
Howell noted that September’s transport total included out-of-state extradition trips to Oregon, Minnesota, and Iowa.
"It was a busy month," Howell told the commissioners. "We flew to Oregon with a couple deputies, had to pick somebody up there and come back and transport him back. We were in Minnesota and Iowa. So it was definitely a busy month of transports across the country."
Detention Center Population, 24/7 Sobriety Program and Inmate Medical Costs
At the Codington County Detention Center, the average daily population in September stood at 53.2 inmates, with a high of 58 and a low of 44. The jail recorded 187 total bookings during the month.
"You'll see there was 187 bookings," Howell said. "That's kind of staying average throughout the year. Seems like it kind of stays in that 190 to 200 kind of area."
Participation in the county’s 24/7 Sobriety Program totaled 130 individuals in September, broken down as follows:
· Twice-daily preliminary breath tests (PBT): 58 participants
· Twice-weekly urinalysis (UA): 41 participants
· SCRAM alcohol monitoring bracelets: 17 participants
· Remote breath testing: 14 participants
· Sweat patches: Zero participants
For September, the facility collected $23,108.97 from out-of-county inmate housing contracts, $11,929.00 in 24/7 Sobriety Program fees, and $1,840.00 in work release fees.
Howell also alerted the commission to two upcoming inmate medical bills resulting from an extended hospital stay and an urgent surgery, though he noted both expenses should still fall within the department’s budget.
"We've had a couple inmates that had some medical issues—one spent eight days in the hospital," Howell said. "We're trying to get him well so he can go to HSC in Yankton. They had special requirements before they would take him. So we spent eight days in the hospital there. So there'll be a larger bill that we'll end up having when we get that one."
The second medical expense involved an inmate extradited from Iowa who arrived with a fractured hand.
"We had another inmate that had a surgery that had to happen on his hand," Howell explained. "When we got him, he was one that came from Iowa, had a fractured hand. And our medical staff looked at it. It's not something that we could have held off until after he was out. So that was an urgent thing that needed to happen. So there's a couple bills that'll be coming up that should be within the budget, hopefully, when we get those."
Commissary and Checking Account Balances
Howell reviewed the September 2026 monthly balance sheets for the detention center commissary and the sheriff’s office checking account:
· Commissary Account: Ended September 2026 with a total balance of $24,569.25, consisting of $4,624.79 in the lobby ATM/booking kiosk and $19,944.46 in the bank. Resident balances accounted for $3,182.19, and commissary items totaled $3,483.32, leaving an unencumbered balance of $17,903.74. Total commissions earned from the phone, kiosk, and commissary reached $1,721.87.
· Sheriff’s Office Checking Account: Ended September 2026 with a bank balance of $15,535.72. Collections totaled $14,646.22—comprising $12,629.93 in sheriff’s fees, $1,385.19 in executions, $525.00 in warrant fees, $66.00 in copy fees, $40.00 in fingerprint fees, and $0.10 in miscellaneous accounts—leaving a remaining balance of $889.50.
State Conference Training and Optimist Club Officer of the Year
Howell noted that Watertown hosted the South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association conference two weeks ago, allowing six or seven Codington County deputies and detention center staff members to attend local law enforcement and jail training sessions.
To close his report, Howell announced that the Watertown Optimist Club named Codington County Deputy Reeves its 2026 Officer of the Year.
“And one last thing, the Optimist Club awarded Deputy Reeves the Officer of the Year for 2026 here,” Howell said. “So if you see Deputy Reeves out and about, congratulate him on the Officer of the Year for the Optimist Club.”
