Patrol Division

The Patrol Division of the Knox County Sheriff's Office is staffed by eighteen full-time Patrol Officers covering three shifts to provide 24-hour police protection to the citizens of Knox County. Each patrol platoon is directly supervised by a Patrol Sergeant who, in addition to patrol assignments, also perform administrative duties related to the personnel they supervise. The Patrol Division, like the Investigations Division, is overseen and managed by the Office's Lieutenant.

Patrol Deputy's receive specialized training in Traffic Crash Investigations, Narcotics Interdiction, DUI Detection, and Juvenile Law. The Sheriff's Office's TRIAD, D.A.R.E. and K-9 programs are all elements of the Patrol Division.

In addition to patrolling the 720 square miles of Knox County, the Patrol Division is responsible for responding to calls for service in the unincorporated areas of the County and in the local towns and villages that do not have a 24-hour police force. Some of the more common calls for service to which Patrol Deputy's respond to are:

• Domestic Disturbances
• Traffic Crashes
• Crimes against persons (battery, assault, etc.)
• Property Crimes (burglary, theft, damage, etc.)
• Neighborhood Problem
• Assisting Motorists

When not handling calls for service and generating written reports on their activities, Patrol Deputy's are also responsible for enforcing traffic and criminal laws, DUI enforcement, drug interdiction, and serving arrest warrants and civil process papers. The Patrol Division routinely assists local law enforcement officers, the Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (State Conservation Officers).

Knox County Patrol Deputy King in the 2022 Galesburg Christmas Parade