New Dodge County Sheriff's Office website shows current inmates, warrants (2024)

COLLIN SPILINEKFremont Tribune

In the past, Dodge County Deputy Gabrielle Frank said the sheriff’s office often received calls asking questions about who the current inmates were or where they could see if someone had a warrant.

But now, she said the public can find all of that information — and more — at the office’s new public information portal online.

“All of the surrounding communities have all of their stuff online, so we’re kind of just now upgrading to that,” Frank said. “So it’s definitely beneficial that they can just access it online.”

The website, which went live on June 16, is part of the county’s new record management system, Zuercher, which went live last October. It is located at https://fremont-pd-ne.zuercherportal.com/.

Frank said the last major software upgrade was sometime in the late 1980s, making the new update a necessary one to adapt to the online age.

“Previously to our new system, the sheriff’s office didn’t really have a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) program besides what they were using for Microsoft Word and those sort of things for reports,” Frank said.

The system is also used by the Fremont Police Department and Fremont/Dodge County 911 to keep track of their reports and records, as well as communications.

“Our dispatchers use this system, and then that sends us selected calls with our mobile data terminals that we have in our cars,” Frank said. “So we have computers in our cars as well that we can access the information right there.”

Since its launch, the sheriff’s office has been working on the public interface portion of Zuercher. The new website allows for public information, including current inmates.

“Those inmates might be housed at the Dodge County Jail, the Saunders County Jail or they might be out in a different jail, but they can still access them if they’re in Dodge County custody,” Frank said. “So they can still access their names, which is public, and their arrest dates as well.”

The website also provides information for active warrants, including names, the reason for the warrant and the date it was issued.

“We encourage not to try to apprehend someone without law enforcement or trying to apprehend someone by themselves,” Frank said.” If you believe that you know someone that has a warrant and you know where they’re actively staying or living, give the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office a call, and we’ll send out law enforcement to collect that person on that warrant.”

Visitors on the website can also access information on sex offenders, as well as a tab to submit a tip to the office. Frank said this portion doesn’t replace FPD’s Crime Stoppers, and people should submit information to both if they feel it is relevant.

The portal also includes resources for county attorneys, who can access cases the office is working on with a username and a password. With this new system, Frank said the office won’t have to print the cases out and hand it to the attorneys annually.

“So that’s kind of what we’re working toward in the future, to have all of our prosecutions streamlined,” she said. “From the time that it’s reported, we have all accurate information from the time it’s reported, and the reports are completed, and that goes electronically to the county attorney’s office and then electronically to the courts.”

Frank said she believes the new system will be extremely beneficial to the public, as well as the office.

“It helps us run smoothly, and then people know if they have contact with someone with a warrant they can give us a call and that person can get it taken care of without any further incident,” she said.

As well as making the office’s work more efficient, Frank said she the website also helps make the office more open to the public.

“We’re excited to be more involved in the community than we already are, which we really are with social media and a lot of community events, but we’re looking to really bridge that gap that the public is looking for,” she said. “If they have questions about our agency or if they have questions about things that are already public record, they’re easily accessible, so we’re a lot more transparent to the public.”