Probation Office

A Few Facts About Adams County: Adams County is divided into 12 Civil Townships as follows: Blue Creek, French, Hartford, Jefferson, Kirkland, Monroe, Preble, Root, St. Marys, Union, Wabash and Washington. Adams County was organized March 1, 1836. A large tract of land lying between Allen and Randolph counties had been previously called Adams County, however, no organization had been effected. Decatur is the County Seat. Samuel Johnson offered as an inducement to have the county seat located on his land, the sum of $3, 100, four church lots, half an acre for a public square, one acre for a seminary and two acres for a cemetery. He further agreed to pay the expenses of the locating commissioners, and furnish a house to hold court in until suitable buildings could be erected. The county commissioners promptly accepted the offer "and proceeded to the aforesaid town site, and marked a white oak tree with blazes on four sides, on each of which they individually inscribed their names." Decatur was probably named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur and in 1849 it had seventy houses ( three of which were brick, twenty-one frame and the remainder of logs ) with a population of about 400.

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department provides crime prevention services through its units, such as K-9, D.A.R.E., 911 and crime watch. It offers drug and violence education programs to school students and staff. Additionally, the department offers a crime stoppers program where police, community and the news media works together to solve crimes. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department offers a range of other services that includes conducting business and home security surveys and private security consultation services. In addition, it specializes in misdemeanor and felony criminal investigations and offers neighborhood watch programs. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department is located in Auburn, Ind.

The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners serves as the executive branch of the county. The board consists of three county commissioners who preside over local government in Indiana s Elkhart County. It is responsible for county buildings, lands and property, purchasing, authorizing payments, signing contracts, supervising and directing a variety of county departments and performing many other governing functions. The commissioners are elected from three separate commissioner districts by whole-county vote. In addition to the three commissioners, the board has a small staff of clerks, administrators and secretaries. The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners meets twice a month.