The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department Special Emergency Response Team, also known as SERT, is the jail’s frontline defense when it comes to unruly and dangerous individuals housed inside the Hamilton County Jail. The SERT team has been a critical component of the Sheriff’s Office for almost 25 years.
The SERT concept began in 1996 when the jail staff faced a very strong, destructive, and violent inmate. The inmate was incarcerated for charges related to murder and subsequently refused to go to court. The solution involved an impromptu five-officer team with little training and hardly any safety equipment. Nevertheless, the brave team successfully completed the cell extraction and high-risk court escort.
To this day, SERT serves as a vital function of the daily jail operations expanding their use inside the jail. SERT now consists of 15 highly trained and well-equipped officers, all from the jail division. They share their knowledge with other correctional officers when they host their own SERT Academy. The team values the importance of de-escalation while maintaining a command presence. Their goal is to resolve dangerous and hostile situations safely with the least amount of force necessary. A degree of danger and risk is accepted when a new correction officer takes an initial oath to serve at the jail, but SERT certainly helps mitigate the risk. Public safety, which includes corrections, is an honorable and noble career.
Carey
“The Hamilton County Jail’s SERT or any jail’s response team is a valued asset for the Correctional Division,” said Hamilton County Jail Commander Josh Carey. “The team provides a level of security for the facilities to defuse a situation that otherwise could escalate out of control very quicky. Equipping and training a select group of correction officers in advanced tactics to resolve any tense, dangerous situation can detour a situation from even starting.”
In 2020, many industries unfortunately slowed down, but SERT stayed busy. They served a total of 260 hours. These hours include callouts, high-risk transports, high-risk court security, training, and cell block searches.
The Sheriff’s Office has many unique responsibilities and special teams. If you are looking for a rewarding career, please consider applying for a position at the Adult Detention Center or Juvenile Services Center. Download a corrections application today at hamiltoncounty.in.gov/595/Recruitment.
For more information about employment, training or contributing to SERT, please contact SERT Commander Matt Hyde at matthew.hyde@hamiltoncounty.in.gov or call (317)776-8229.