
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office provides patrol service to the citizens of St. Louis County. The patrol division is the largest division of the department.
The deputies respond to all calls for service within the county. Deputies perform a broad range of activities which include investigating crimes such as disturbances, domestic violence incidents, suspicious persons and vehicles; answering calls for assistance; responding to accidents; administering first aid to the injured; transporting prisoners and individuals with mental disorders. Deputies also serve civil papers and arrest warrants.
- Patrol deputies work four days/twelve-hour shifts on a four days on, four days off rotation.
- In addition to their regular duty assignments, deputies also have opportunities to explore interests and develop new skills. These activities include such department-wide functions as:
background investigations of potential deputy sheriff candidates; field training officers for newly hired deputies; Boat and Water Safety; snowmobile patrol; DWI saturation patrol; illegal drug investigation; arson investigation; and membership on the Emergency Response Team (ERT).
Due to the size of the county, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office is divided into three major regional sheriff’s offices located in Duluth, Hibbing, and Virginia, MN. There are courthouses located in each of these locations.
- Duluth Sheriff’s Office, where the Sheriff and Undersheriff are located, provides law enforcement services to the southern part of St. Louis County
- Hibbing Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services for the northwestern part of St. Louis County, and
- Virginia Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services for the northeastern part of St. Louis County.
In addition:
- The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office maintains an office in Ely, MN. This office houses three deputies who provide law enforcement services for the Ely community. Their patrol area encompasses approximately 200 square miles of rural and lake properties. Deputies in this duty station are often called upon to work overtime.
- City of Aurora - The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services for the community of Aurora. The Aurora Sheriff’s Office consists of one Sergeant and five deputies. Their patrol area encompasses a 4-mile radius of the City of Aurora, but deputies also provide immediate response to any emergency outside of Aurora, when required. The patrol area is approximately 16 square miles.
- City of Mountain Iron - The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services for the community of Mountain Iron. The Mountain Iron Sheriff’s Office consists of one Sergeant and five deputies and their patrol area is approximately 52 square miles.
- Outlying duty stations in Cook, Orr, and Kabetogama - The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office also has outlying duty stations in Cook, Orr, and Kabetogama. They cover approximately 1800 square miles, composed primarily of wilderness area, with the major population areas being Cook, Orr, Crane Lake, the Lake Kabetogama area, the Lake Vermilion (West End) area, and a variety of other small residential areas scattered throughout the region. The patrol area includes Voyageurs National Park and a portion of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Patrol is done by motor vehicle, snowmobile, and boat in this area. Three full time positions and a seasonal summer position for the Kabetogama area provide law enforcement services for this area.
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