Carter County Sheriff's Office

What Carter County Sheriff's Office does

Carter County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for Carter County, Missouri, a 500-square-mile rural jurisdiction in the Ozark Highlands with approximately 6,000 permanent residents that roughly doubles during summer tourism on the Current River. The agency provides 24/7 patrol coverage via six full-time and two part-time deputies and six patrol vehicles, operates a six-cell detention facility (expanded in 2010 for approximately $500,000), and runs the county-wide dispatch center servicing the Van Buren, Ellsinore, and Grandin Police Departments, all county fire departments, and the Carter County Ambulance Service. It also contracts jail services to the Missouri Highway Patrol, US Park Service, and Missouri Department of Conservation, and processes concealed carry weapon permits ($100 new / $50 renewal).

The agency's revenue model is overwhelmingly tax-funded through the Carter County Law Enforcement Sales Tax passed in 2014, with minor transactional streams from CCW permit fees, inmate commissary sales (including $0.50 unit-priced OTC medications), and inter-agency service provision. Its service portfolio extends beyond core patrol and detention into community policing (forums held across Van Buren, Ellsinore, Grandin, and Eastwood), K-9 narcotics operations (five K-9 units), sex offender registry, emergency management, and outreach programs such as back-to-school giveaways and church safety presentations. Distribution and citizen engagement are delivered through a 2015-launched WCAG 2.0-compliant public website, Facebook, TextCaster alerts, three new community substations operational since February 13, 2025, and a 24/7 hotline at 573-323-4510.

Under Sheriff Alonzo Bradwell (appointed 2024, previously Chief of Police at Van Buren PD), the office continues to operate as a tax-supported county government entity under the authority of the elected Sheriff and the Carter County Commission (Presiding Commissioner Ron Keeney, Western Commissioner Erik McSpadden, Eastern Commissioner Tom Wilder). The agency is not incorporated, does not raise venture or equity capital, and reports no commercial revenue, with technology limited to standard dispatch and communication systems and no proprietary AI/ML, API, or mobile application infrastructure.

Name

Carter County Sheriff's Office

Legal name

Carter County Sheriff's Office

Website

https://cartercountymosheriff.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1861

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carter County Sheriff's Office is a rural Missouri county government law enforcement agency providing 24/7 patrol, dispatch, and 6-cell detention services for approximately 6,000 residents across 500 square miles, serving as primary law enforcement for unincorporated Carter County and dispatch provider for multiple municipal and state agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Law Enforcement Services

NAICS

Police Protection (922120), Correctional Institutions (922140)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Police Services (Patrol, Response & Community Policing) (BPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Detention Center Operations (Immigration & Administrative Detention) (BPAKANAB)

Keywords

• Law enforcement services
• County jail operations
• Emergency dispatch services
• Concealed carry permits
• Community policing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Van Buren

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tax Revenue: Primary funding through Carter County Law Enforcement Sales Tax passed in 2014
2. Concealed Carry Weapons Permits: New CCW permit application fee of $100, renewal fee of $50
3. Jail Services: Provides jail services for all law enforcement in Carter County including Missouri Highway Patrol, US Park Service, and Missouri Department of Conservation
4. Commissary Services: Inmate commissary sales, indigent inmates provided basic supplies after 30 days with no more than $5 deposited

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carter County Sheriff's Office is a county government law enforcement agency providing patrol coverage, 24/7 emergency dispatch, detention/jail services, concealed carry weapons permit processing, sex offender registry oversight, and community policing programs across approximately 500 square miles of rural Missouri. The agency operates with 6 full-time and 2 part-time sworn deputies, a 6-cell jail facility, four K9 units, and serves as the regional hub providing dispatch and jail services to multiple municipal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Most public safety services are tax-funded and provided at no charge to citizens, with revenue also generated through CCW permit fees, commissary charges, and inter-agency service agreements.

Product overview

Carter County Sheriff's Office provides comprehensive law enforcement and public safety services to Carter County, Missouri. The agency operates patrol services with 6 full-time deputies and 2 part-time deputies, maintains a 6-cell detention facility, provides 24/7 dispatch services for multiple agencies, and offers community programs including concealed carry permits, sex offender registry, most wanted listings, crime tip submission, emergency management, and community service supervision. The Sheriff's Office utilizes a public website as an information resource featuring press releases, interactive maps, and notification systems for community engagement and public safety.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patrol and Law Enforcement Services 24/7 direct patrol and emergency response services provided by sheriff's deputies across approximately 500 square miles of Carter County, including the municipalities of Ellsinore, Grandin, Hunter, and Fremont, plus exclusive coverage of unincorporated rural areas. A 24-hour emergency phone line (573-323-4510) supports citizen requests.
• Detention Facility Services Inmate housing, video-chat visitation, commissary, mail services, over-the-counter medication access, and medical care at the 6-cell Carter County Detention Facility. Services are provided to all arresting agencies operating in Carter County, including the Missouri Highway Patrol, US Park Service, and Missouri Department of Conservation.
• Dispatch Services 24/7 centralized emergency dispatch service operated by the Sheriff's Office for the Van Buren Police Department, Ellsinore Police Department, Grandin Police Department, all county fire departments, and Carter County Ambulance Service.
• Concealed Carry Weapons Permits Processing of new concealed carry weapons permit applications ($100 fee, 5-year validity, requires Carter County instructor training and Missouri State Highway Patrol background check, up to 45 days processing) and renewals ($50 fee, eligible up to 30 days before expiration, with additional fees if expired more than 60 days).
• Emergency Management and Preparedness Disaster preparedness coordination, training exercises, hazard evaluation, and citizen emergency readiness guidance for natural and man-made disasters, integrated with public safety alerting via the TextCaster notification system.
• Community Service Supervision Program Court-approved community service supervision program offered monthly for individuals sentenced through Carter County Courts, with supervised work site placement and hour verification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple search warrant operations resulting in drug seizures and arrests (November 2024, October 2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Van Buren Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint operations and dispatch services partnership. Carter County Sheriff's Office provides dispatch services for Van Buren PD. Conducted joint operations including K9 drug searches (February 2025), search warrants (November 2024, October 2024).
• Ellsinore Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint dispatch services and substation partnership. Substation located at Ellsinore Police Department in City Hall. Assisted with multiple search warrant operations.
• Grandin Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint dispatch services and substation partnership. Substation located at old fire department building. Sheriff's inmates assist with community projects in Grandin.
• Missouri Highway PatrolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJail services provided by Carter County Sheriff's Office for MO Highway Patrol arrests. Joint operations including drug investigations and traffic stops.
• US Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJail services provided by Carter County Sheriff's Office for US Park Service arrests in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways area.
• Missouri Department of ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted in joint search warrant operations. Sheriff's Office provides jail services for Conservation agents' arrests.
• South Central Drug Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted with multiple drug-related search warrants in 2024 (November 2024, October 2024) targeting narcotics distributors.
• US Marshal ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperated in finding and arresting out-of-state wanted persons, such as Danny P Craig from Mississippi wanted for Failure to Register as a sex offender.
• Howell County Sheriff's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperated in recovering stolen property - a UTV stolen in 2017 that was recovered through joint investigation with Howell County.
• Carter County Fire DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDispatch services provided by Sheriff's Office for all county fire departments. Fire departments also support Sheriff's Office (Eastwood Fire Department assists with substation locations).
• Carter County Ambulance ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDispatch services provided by Sheriff's Office for Carter County Ambulance Service.
• Missouri Sheriff's AssociationminorOthersSheriff attended Missouri Sheriffs Association Training Academy at Missouri State University in West Plains. MSA may send fundraising letters (with sheriff's signature) which are legitimate.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Texas County Sheriff's Office: South-central Missouri rural sheriff's office with similar geographic scale and combined patrol/detention/dispatch service offering to Carter County.
• Reynolds County Sheriff's Office: Small rural Missouri county with comparable population and patrol footprint. Provides the same core set of patrol, jail, and dispatch services under similar budget constraints.
• Oregon County Sheriff's Office: Neighboring Ozark-region sheriff's office where current Sheriff Bradwell was born and raised. Comparable rural Missouri county law enforcement agency in size and service mix.
• Howell County Sheriff's Office: Neighboring rural Missouri county sheriff's office that already cooperates with Carter County on cross-jurisdiction investigations (UTV recovery). Comparable in scale, jurisdiction type, and rural-patrol operating model.
• Shannon County Sheriff's Office: Neighboring rural Ozark county with similar sparse population, multi-municipality patrol coverage, and detention services. Mirrors Carter County's rural operating conditions and service portfolio.
• Wayne County Sheriff's Office (Missouri): Neighboring rural Missouri county along the Ozark foothills. Provides directly comparable small-county sheriff services including jail operations and K9/drug enforcement work.
• Ripley County Sheriff's Office: Adjacent rural Missouri county sheriff's office historically partnered with Carter County on joint investigations (1973 Bank of Grandin case). Directly comparable in population scale, geography, and rural law-enforcement service mix.

Direct peers

• Van Buren Police Department: Municipal police department located in Carter County seat. While smaller in jurisdiction, it is the municipality that Carter County Sheriff's Office dispatches for and jointly operates with—making it the most directly comparable day-to-day peer operationally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CarterCountyMOSheriff
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carter-county-sheriffs-office

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carter County Sheriff's Office