Bates County Sheriff President of Southwest Major Case Squad

Beginning January 1, 2014, new offices are assigned for the members of the Southwest Major Case Squad. Chief Graham Burnley of the Nevada Police Department turned the President position over to Sheriff Chad Anderson of Bates County.  Chief Burnley has served as President of the Major Case Squad for the year of 2013.  Sheriff Anderson shall serve as the President until January of 2015 when Vice President Chief Ron Hagar will assume the position.  The Major Case Squad is governed by a Board of Directors from the participating jurisdictions.

The Southwest Major Case Squad is composed of Law Enforcement agencies in the Southwest area of Missouri.  Those agencies consist of Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Butler Police Department, Rich Hill Police Department, Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Police Department, Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Lamar Police Department, St. Clair Sheriff’s Office, Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, Eldorado Springs Police Department, Dade County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Each of these agencies has agreed to provide manpower and resources to the other agencies in the event of a Major Crime.  Each agency has identified their own staff members who have extensive experience and training in investigations.  Those staff members are then dispatched to a neighboring agency when the Major Case Squad had been activated.  There is no cost associated with being a member of the Major Case Squad except each agency covers the cost of the employees activated during investigations.

Sheriff Anderson says, “Being a member of the Major Case Squad has been a benefit to my agency on many levels.  Since being Sheriff, I have activated the Squad two times to help investigate homicides that have occurred here.  Activating the Squad gives agencies numerous experienced investigators that are able to follow up leads to a major case in a timely matter.  Time is a factor in solving a major crime like a missing person or a homicide.”

The Southwest Major Case Squad has been activated on several cases over the last year.  These cases have included missing persons, suspicious deaths, and violent assaults.  The Major Case Squad holds monthly meetings to bring each agency together to share information about crimes patterns and problems in the agency’s jurisdiction.