In an effort to combat the increase of violent crime and chronic drug use and its availability, members from all county law enforcement entities are coming together in the newly formed Wright County Special Operations Group (SOG). The group will include officers from the Wright County Sheriff’s Office as well as police departments in Mountain Grove, Hartville and Mansfield. The officers will be trained in special tactics and issued special equipment to accomplish a mission. The operations they may perform could include search warrants, fugitive apprehension, hostage situations, arresting potentially violent suspects, swift water rescue and searching/rescuing missing or endangered people.
“Every department in our county struggles with a lack of manpower and a lack of funding and resources,” said Wright County Sheriff Sonny Byerley. “The vision is to combine all of that to gain the manpower and a little extra financial relief and an ability to pull a team together.”
There will be 14 operators with boots on the ground, K9 tracking units, eventually two hostage negotiators and a trained entry team. An administration team is comprised of the sheriff and his chief deputy along with Mountain Grove’s police chief and assistant chief, and chiefs from Hartville and Mansfield.
To start raising funds for the necessary training, a benefit Dinner and Auction event will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28 inside the Mountain Grove High School Cafeteria.
Tickets are $15 at the door and $10 for preordered tickets.
There will be a pulled pork dinner as well as live and silent auctions with many featured items.ELECTION
