Four Jackson County jail staff on administrative leave after contraband found: sheriff
Four employees with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office have been placed on paid administrative leave after contraband was discovered in the jail amid a joint investigation with federal and state authorities, Sheriff Darryl Forté said Thursday.
A sweep was conducted within the Jackson County Detention Center as part of a planned operation. None were arrested or charged with a crime as of Thursday evening.
Reached by phone Thursday, Forté said many specifics are being withheld to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing investigation. But he said the contraband discovered presented a danger to inmates and jail staff, saying the “safety and security and wellness of all” is a priority for him.
Forté added that those who have been reprimanded “are not a representation” of the county’s jail employees.
“A majority of the staff at the Jackson County Detention Center are dedicated professionals and they follow the rules,” Forté said.
Sweeps for contraband are routinely carried out within the jail, often by the jail’s own staff. The Jackson County Detention Center requires employees and visitors to pass through metal detectors and employees are subject to random checks. Less common are sweeps conducted by outside law enforcement agencies.
As public officials, jail employees face stiff penalties for bringing contraband beyond jail checkpoints. In Jackson County and elsewhere some correctional officers have been charged with crimes for being paid to bring drugs, cigarettes and cell phones to inmates.
Last month, Daniel Coach, a former Jackson County corrections officer, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to taking bribes in a federal case.
Coach was arrested after an investigation that involved a drug sting operation where Coach allegedly told an undercover Kansas City police detective how he planned to bring opioids to an inmate.
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 4:10 PM.
