Frequently Asked Questions
General Administration Information
Who should I call to report a crime?
Who do I call to obtain information, contact a deputy, etc?
I reported a crime but the deputy has not called me back.
I left a message for a deputy to call me back but he has not returned my calls. What should I do?
What should I do if I do not receive an unsatisfactory response from the immediate supervisor?
How do I get a copy of a police report?
Can I get a copy of a full report?
Drug Information
What should I do if I find a methamphetamine lab?
How can I tell if someone is taking methamphetamine?
What happens when I provide information about drugs?
I called to report drug information but nothing happened? Why was my information not acted upon?
Handgun Purchase
I want to purchase a handgun. What must I do to comply with the law?
How do I obtain a permit to acquire a handgun?
What happens if I move? Do I need to get another permit from that county?
What happens if I move out of state?
What if I am traveling out of state on vacation. Can I take a weapon along?
What if my wife or son want to borrow my handgun? Do they need a permit?
What if I want to sell a handgun? What do I need to do?
Can I obtain a permit to acquire a handgun if I have been convicted of a misdemeanor?
What can I do if the Sheriff refuses to issue me a permit to acquire a handgun?
Franklin County Jail
What are visiting hours in the jail?
What are telephone numbers for the courts?
What can I bring to an inmate?
Can I give a message to an inmate?
I have been sentenced to work release and need to set up a schedule. Who do I contact?
What phone services do the inmates have?
Can I take a tour of the jail?
General Administration Information
Who should I call to report a crime?
No matter where you actually live, if the crime occurred in unincorporated Franklin County, you need to call the Sheriff’s Office. If the crime occurred in a city that has its own police department, the crime should be reported to the City Police Department.
The Sheriff’s Office has three main numbers you can call. Those numbers are (911, emergency), (636-583-2567 which is Franklin County Communications), and (636-583-2560 which is the number for the Sheriff’s Administration Office).
911- should “only” be used to report emergencies that require immediate response or action by law enforcement or emergency service personnel.
Although your address will appear on the 911-computer screen when you call, the dispatcher will still immediately ask you your address and the nature of your emergency. This is to verify that the address on the screen is accurate. On rare occasions, the address displayed on the screen is different than the location the caller is actually calling from. Also, the location of cell phone calls do not display on the screen.
If your emergency requires law enforcement response, Franklin County Communications will take your information and dispatch a deputy. If your emergency involves an ambulance or fire department, your call will be transferred to the appropriate dispatching agency for that department. This transfer will be instant. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Dispatcher will remain on the line with you until the call is answered by that dispatching agency.
It is important that the 911 number not be called for road conditions, general information, to report a non-emergency crime, information, etc. Tying up these lines for non-emergency issues could cost a life.
From time to time major incidents occur where Sheriff’s Office phone lines become tied up. Not only are dispatchers answering phones, they are also handling radio traffic for emergency service agencies involved. Please be patient. If you receive a repeated busy signal on the business or communications phone number, please do not call 911 to bypass those lines that are busy unless your call is an emergency.
636-583-2567 is the number that rings in the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week including holidays. This number should be used to report a crime that is “non-emergency.” This line can also be used to report emergencies. 911, however, is the primary emergency number and has response (answering) priority over 636-583-2567.
Who do I call to obtain information, contact a deputy, etc?
636-583-2560 is the number that rings at the Sheriff’s Office Administration section during normal business hours, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
This number, however, can be called 24 hours a day. On weekends, holidays, and non business hours, the number is answered in Franklin County Sheriff’s Communications.
This number should be used for, but not limited to, the following:
· Contact a deputy for information or about your case.
· Information about hand gun permits.
· Contact someone in the Jail Division,
· Contact someone in the Civil Division,
· Contact someone in the Detective Division,
· Contact someone in the Road Patrol,
· Contact a supervisor,
· Contact the Sheriff,
· Obtain a police report,
· General information.
I reported a crime but the deputy has not called me back.
Normally, if there is no new information related to your case, and you did not request the deputy call you back, they will not call. Due to the number of cases the deputies work, they are unable to give updates on all of the cases.
You are encouraged, however, to call the deputy and ask about the status of your case. Especially if you have new information or were expecting the deputy to call back and they did not.
I left a message for a deputy to call me back but he has not returned my calls. What should I do?
When a citizen requests a deputy to contact them, the request is given to the deputy via an in-house mailing system. Deputies work rotating shifts changing from days to evenings every month. They work twelve-hour shifts allowing them to be off three days, work two days, be off two days, and work three days. On occasion, because of schedule change or days off, it may be a few days before a deputy gets your message. If you need an immediate response, or you are having trouble getting the deputy to call you back, call and ask for his/her immediate supervisor. If you have new information about your case that needs immediate action, and the deputy working on your case is off duty, ask for the supervisor on duty and report the information to them for follow up.
What should I do if I do not receive an unsatisfactory response from the immediate supervisor?
The deputies work under a chain of command. They are supervised by a Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major and the Sheriff. Normally, the Lieutenant in charge of the deputy will be able to address your situation. If they do not, you should ask to speak to the Captain, Major or Sheriff.
During business hours just call 636-583-2560 and ask for the Sheriff. If he is at the office, the receptionist that answers the phone will transfer the call directly to the Sheriff. If he is not in, the person answering the phone will take a message and let him know that you called.
How do I get a copy of a police report?
You can call 636-583-2560 during normal business hours. Missouri Statute allows the Sheriff to charge a fee for reports. In general, a report will cost $5.00. Depending on the number of pages, this cost could be more.
Can I get a copy of a full report?
In general, police reports are considered public information. There are exceptions in Missouri Law that allow certain parts of a report to be blacked out, or not accessible to the general public. Anyone can obtain a copy of a police report that contains such information as time, date, location, type of report, and a brief summary of the content of the report.
The “investigative report,” that contains details of the investigation can be considered confidential in some cases. You may receive a copy that has sections that are “blacked out.” If you feel that you are entitled to information in a report that law enforcement will not release, there is a section of Missouri Law that allows you to petition the Circuit Court to review your request and decide if the information can remain confidential or should be released.
I get calls from organizations wanting donations that say the money goes directly to your department. How do I know if they are legitimate?
There are many legitimate law enforcement organizations that benefit local law enforcement, but not directly. If you receive a call from an organization that says they give money or equipment “directly” to your local law enforcement, I would question their authenticity. Ask for the organization name and phone number, and contact your local law enforcement to see if the organization is legitimate.
Drug Information
Yes. You can keep your name anonymous if requested. You may be asked to give your name, but you are not required to give it.
Methamphetamine is a drug that is manufactured from products that contain ephedrine. Methamphetamine can be manufactured by using chemicals that can be purchased legally on local hardware, grocery, and convenience stores.
Methamphetamine produces a high causing those who use the drug to go for days without sleep. Abusers eventually become paranoid and feel that they are being watched and everyone is out to get them. The addiction rate is extremely high. When the drug enters the system, it must also exit. The drug can exit through the skin causing sores or acne. It can also cause severe tooth decay and loss of hair. The drug can be snorted, smoked, or injected.
Up until 4 years ago, the majority of methamphetamine was brought in to Franklin County from other States. Methamphetamine has evolved from single large quantity dealers to local small mom and pop manufacturing labs. Formulas for making methamphetamine can easily be found on the Internet and is passed on through the drug culture.
What should I do if I find a methamphetamine lab?
It is very common for civilians to find labs along the road, in fields, vehicles, buildings, etc., that have been abandon. Although chemicals used to make methamphetamine are legal to purchase, when mixed as part of the manufacture process, they can become deadly when inhaled. The phosphate method produces a deadly gas that cannot be seen, or smelled, and will penetrate many types of protective clothing and protective masks. A self-contained breathing apparatus must be used when dealing with this material. You cannot tell you are breathing this gas. Inhaling this gas is deadly.
If you locate what you feel might be a lab, do not smell or handle any of the chemicals or equipment yourself. Contact your local law enforcement agency or the Sheriff’s Office and give them the location of the lab.
How can I tell if someone is taking methamphetamine?
Individuals that use methamphetamine will be very nervous and hyper active. They need very little sleep and will at times be up for days. They will eventually become paranoid and sometimes violent. Other signs are loss of hair, sores on the skin, and rotting teeth. These signs are more common in chronic users of the drug.
What happens when I provide information about drugs?
When drug information is received, it is passed on to the Detective Division’s Drug Unit.
I called to report drug information but nothing happened? Why was my information not acted upon?
There are several possible reasons this can occur. Below are some of the situations we encounter.
The information you provided involves a suspect currently involved in an active investigation. Acting on your information may jeopardize a larger investigation already in progress. Unfortunately, when you call, we cannot reveal this information. When the caller sees no action, they feel they were ignored when in fact, their information was important to the case. Because of the confidentiality of investigations, the caller providing the information may never know how important the information was.
Sometimes a caller will provide information that is “current” active drug activity. Although this information may be current, it may be held until an opportune time do to extenuating circumstances involved in an investigation. It may take several months or as much as a year before the effects of this information can be productive.
Someone I know gave information about a drug operation and the suspect was arrested the next day. I gave information about another drug dealer and nothing happened. Why was my information ignored?
When working criminal cases, we must develop “probable cause” before we make an arrest or before we obtain a search warrant. In some cases, establishing enough probable cause to obtain search warrants is easier than others. Each case is approached based on individual situations involved in that particular case. What works in one case, may not work in another. Chances are, there were some technicalities involved or other reasons that prevented us from establishing enough probable cause to proceed with your information.
Handgun Purchase
I want to purchase a handgun. What must I do to comply with the law?
Any time you “acquire” a “handgun” in the State of Missouri, you must first obtain a “permit to acquire” from the Sheriff in the county where you live. Even if the weapon is loaned, given, willed, borrowed, etc, unless you first have the approved permit, you cannot legally acquire a handgun in the State of Missouri. Although they were not strictly enforced until the 1960’s, the permit laws actually go back to around 1920.
How do I obtain a permit to acquire a handgun?
You need to contact the Sheriff in the county where you live and obtain a handgun “permit to acquire” application. The application asks for information about yourself so that a background check can be done to be sure you qualify under the law to possess a handgun.
After you fill out the application, the law allows the Sheriff seven days to process the permit. Depending on the workload, some departments are able to complete the background checks sooner than seven days.
When the permit to acquire is issued, you will be required to pay a $10.00 fee authorized by Missouri Statute for the permit. You will be requested to sign the actual permit. No one else can sign the permit for you. You will be given a receipt for the fee that you pay.
You give the permit to the person that you are acquiring the weapon from. That person is to fill in the information about the weapon you are acquiring such as make, model, serial number, and barrel length. That person then signs the permit stating that they transferred the weapon to you, and then returns the form to the Sheriff. The receipt you receive for the permit fee is your copy or proof that you had a permit to acquire the handgun. You should carry that receipt with you at all times when you have the weapon in your possession.
You can apply for a duplicate permit for a small fee at the sheriff’s office where the original permit was obtained.
What happens if I move? Do I need to get another permit from that county?
No. If you obtain a permit to acquire a handgun in Franklin County Missouri, that permit is good in any area in the State of Missouri.
What happens if I move out of state?
The permit issued in the State of Missouri does not afford you rights to possess a handgun out of state. It is merely proof that you acquired the weapon legally in the State of Missouri. If you are moving out of state, you need to check on the handgun laws that apply in that state.
What if I am traveling out of state on vacation. Can I take a weapon along?
Every state has uniquely differing handgun laws. Be sure to check on the laws in each state you travel through before you take a weapon with you.
What if my wife or son want to borrow my handgun? Do they need a permit?
They cannot possess the handgun unless you are with them. They must obtain a permit for the handgun to possess the handgun in your absence.
What if I want to sell a handgun? What do I need to do?
You cannot legally transfer a handgun to anyone, other than a Federal firearms Licensed Dealer, unless that person first gives you a permit to acquire a firearm issued by the sheriff. After the person has given you the permit to acquire, you then fill out the permit describing the handgun you transferred, sign the form, and return it to the Sheriff. You cannot transfer the weapon to the person anticipating that a permit will be issued. The weapon can only be transferred after you are given the permit to acquire from the individual that is to receive the handgun.
If I transfer a handgun to someone else, do I need to tell the Sheriff or turn in my old permit to acquire receipt?
Not as long as the handguns you receive are part of the Federal Firearms Licensed business. Those handguns are considered part of your business that is licensed by the Federal Firearms License
If the handgun you receive is to be your “personal” weapon, and not part of your licensed business, you do need to obtain a permit to acquire from the Sheriff.
If you drop or discontinue your Federal Firearms License, and you want to keep handguns that were obtained through your Federal Firearms License, you must obtain a permit to acquire from the Sheriff for each weapon. You are technically obtaining them from your business.
If I have a Federal Firearms License, do I need to obtain a handgun permit before I receive any handguns?
Not as long as the handguns you receive are part of the Federal Firearms Licensed business. These handguns are considered part of your business that is licensed by the Federal Firearms License.
If the handgun you receive is to be your “personal” weapon, and not part of your licensed business, you do need to obtain a permit to acquire from the Sheriff.
If you drop or discontinue your Federal Firearms License, and you want to keep handguns that were obtained through your Federal Firearms License, you must obtain a permit to acquire from the Sheriff for each weapon. You are technically obtaining them from your business.
If I have a Federal Firearms License, does the person I am transferring the handgun to still need to get a permit to acquire from the Sheriff before I make the transfer?
Yes, even if you are a Federally Licensed Dealer, you cannot transfer a handgun to someone unless that person first gives you a permit to acquire that has been issued by the Sheriff.
If I am transferring a handgun to someone that has a Federal Firearms License, do they need to give me a permit to acquire issued by the Sheriff before I transfer the handgun?
Not if you are transferring the handgun to their Federal Firearms Licensed business. If you are transferring a handgun to them for their “personal use,” and not to the licensed business, they do need to obtain a permit to acquire before you can transfer the weapon to them.
When I lived in another state, I purchased a handgun. I have now moved to Missouri. Do I need to register the handgun?
No. There are no registration laws for handguns in the State of Missouri. The permit to acquire is not to register a handgun, but to show that you were given permission to acquire a handgun and qualify to possess a handgun under Missouri Law. You do, however, need to show proof of a legal purchase from the other state. See below Question.
What happens if I encounter law enforcement with the weapon and do not have a permit to acquire receipt?
If you purchased the weapon legally in another state, then Missouri recognizes this as a legal possession. Technically, you do not need a permit to acquire the weapon in Missouri since you have already acquired it legally in another state.
However, you do need to show proof that the weapon was purchased legally in another state. This proof would be in the form of a sales receipt, permit from another state, or some sort of document to verify that you lived in that state and the weapon was legally purchased in that state. If you cannot provide proof the weapon was legally purchased in another state, the weapon may be seized subject to further investigation.
To possess a handgun in the State of Missouri you must:
· Be at least twenty-one years of age, a citizen of the United States and has resided in this state for at least six months;
· Have not pled guilty to or been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year under the laws of any state or of the United States other than a crime classified as a misdemeanor under the laws of any state and punishable by a term of imprisonment of two years or less that does not involve an explosive weapon, firearm, firearm silencer or gas gun;
· Not a fugitive from justice or currently charged in an information or indictment with the commission of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year under the laws of any state or of the United States other than a crime classified as a misdemeanor under the laws of any state and punishable by a term of imprisonment of two years or less that does not involve an explosive weapon, firearm, firearm silencer or gas gun;
· Have not been discharged under dishonorable conditions from the United States armed forces;
· Not be publicly known to be habitually in an intoxicated or drugged condition; and
· Not be currently adjudged mentally incompetent and has not been committed to a mental health facility, as defined in section 632.005, RSMo, or a similar institution located in another state.
Can I obtain a permit to acquire a handgun if I have been convicted of a misdemeanor?
Yes, unless your conviction relates to domestic violence. There are Federal Laws that prohibit individuals from possessing firearms while under certain “orders of protection” or having been convicted of misdemeanor charges related to domestic violence.
What can I do if the Sheriff refuses to issue me a permit to acquire a handgun?
If a Sheriff refuses to issue you a permit to acquire, they will normally give you a letter explaining why the permit was refused. You can appeal the Sheriff’s decision through your local small claims court. You do not need an attorney to file a case in small claims court.
Franklin County Jail
What are visiting hours in the jail?
Family: 6:30 to 8:30 PM. on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Family and Friends: 9:00 AM. to 11:00 AM. on Fridays and Saturdays.
What are telephone numbers for the courts?
Franklin County Probate Court, Division 5, 636-583-6312
Franklin County Associate Circuit Court, Division 6, 636-583-6318
Franklin County Associate Circuit Court, Division 7, 636-583-6326
Franklin County Circuit Court, Division 1, 636-583-6304
Franklin County Circuit Court, Division 2, 636-583-6304
The jail is located at the Sheriff’s Office on Hwy. V, in the City of Union. It is located approximately 1/8 mile from the intersection of Hwy 47 and V. The address is #1 Bruns Lane, Union, Mo. 63084.
What can I bring to an inmate?
For security reasons, items inmates are allowed to have are limited. They are allowed money, and prescription medication only.
If someone is arrested in another county due to a warrant from Franklin County, do I need to wait until they arrive at Franklin County before I can post their bond?
Some counties will allow you to post bond for individuals arrested on charges from outside their jurisdiction. Your best approach would be to contact a shift supervisor at the Franklin County Jail to determine if a bond can be posted. To contact someone in the jail you can call 636-583-2560.
Can I give a message to an inmate?
Not unless it is a verifiable medical emergency such as a death in the family.
No. Inmates in a county jail are pre-trial inmates. For security reasons, contact visits are not allowed.
I have been sentenced to work release and need to set up a schedule. Who do I contact?
You should contact the jail superintendent at 636-583-2560.
What phone services do the inmates have?
Inmates cannot receive phone calls. They are allowed to make collect calls only from phones in their day rooms. The phones are activated from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 AM. to 11:30 PM. and from Friday to Sunday from 9:00 AM. to midnight. Calls are processed through an automated inmate phone service. The calls are limited to fifteen minutes per call.
Can I take a tour of the jail?
Yes. We have always offered taxpayers an opportunity to see where and how their tax money is spent. If you belong to a civic group, neighborhood group, organization, or just want to see yourself, we will be happy to take you through and show you the operations of the Sheriff’s Office. Tours can be restricted according to the age of children that may be attending, inmate population, and access of convicted felons to secure areas of the jail.
Just call the Sheriff’s Office and ask for the Captain of Field Operations, Under Sheriff, Sheriff, or Jail Superintendent.