Specialized Units
Narcotic Detection
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office currently utilizes a canine team in their effort to apprehend those in possession of illegal narcotics. Versa, a single purpose German Shepherd, was purchased with grant funds and has been with the department since 2022. Versa is trained in narcotics detection, tracking, and article recovery. Versa was trained at North Iowa K-9 in Humboldt, IA and is certified annually by Master Trainer Paul Samuelson. Versa also is certified annually at the United State Police Canine Association.
Emergency Management
The Lyon County Emergency Management Coordinator’s office is located within the Lyon County Law Enforcement Center. The coordinator is Arden Kopischke and he can be reached at 712-400-9700. The goal of this position is to help direct, provide the necessary resources, and help prepare the County EMS and Fire Agencies. In case of an emergency, public information will be posted on the Lyon County Iowa Emergency Management web page.
IowaVINE
IowaVINE is a crime victim information and notification system that tracks criminals who have been arrested by law enforcement or convicted by the justice system. It is a free 24-hour, confidential, computer-based service that provides crime victim information and notification via telephone and/or computer. You can register your phone number and/or e-mail address with IowaVINE at 1-888-IAVINE.
DARE
Drug Abuse Resistant Education (DARE) was founded in 1989 and has been implemented in the Lyon County Schools since the beginning. Sheriff VanderStoep has been teaching 4th and 5th graders the evils of drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure.
The DARE model teaches youths the acute and long lasting effects of illegal drug use. It also educates the students about the effect of alcohol. It teaches the kids how to deal with peer pressure.
SART (Sexual Abuse Response Team)
This program is designed to help those in need of assistance after being sexually assaulted. Lyon County has deputies who are highly trained in dealing with the trauma of sexual abuse. The officers help comfort the victim with gathering the necessary information in order to prosecute the offender, links family with a sane (Sex Abuse Nurse Examiner) who are specifically trained in evidence collection and testifying in sex abuse cases, and also links them up with an advocate from the family crisis center. Both people are present while the victim is being examined in the hospital.
DART (Domestic Abuse Response Team)
The DART program is a multi-agency response team comprised of individuals from County Attorney’s Office, Family Crisis Center, and the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department. Their primary goal is to ensure that victims of domestic abuse are receiving the best possible service. Their goals are to:
- Increase Victim Safety
- Offer assistance and inform victim of services available
- Meet periodically to review cases
- Provide training to officers, advocates, and victim-witness coordinators
- Improve inter-agency communication
- Provide a community response to domestic violence
This collaborative response to domestic violence aims to increase victim safety and end the cycle of violence. The DART program tries to make resources more available and easier for victims to access.
