The Sheriff's Office frequently receives complaints of people discharging firearms in the unincorporated areas of the County. There are no statutes or ordinances in existence that regulate or control the lawful discharge of firearms on private property in unincorporated areas. There are no regulations regarding any of the following:

• The dimensions of the property the firearm is being discharged on;
• The time of the day or night that firearms may be discharged;
• The placement of any backstops or barriers;
• Or any regulations concerning the noise produced when a firearm is discharged

As long as the person shooting the firearm is not being overtly reckless to the point that another person's safety is in immediate danger (which can be very difficult to prove criminally), then the lawful discharge of firearms is not prohibited. Absent a state statute or county ordinance establishing clear restrictions that were being violated, law enforcement has no authority to intervene in those situations. Some rural property that is included in platted subdivisions or developments may have "protective covenants" attached to the property that prohibit or regulate the discharge of firearms thereon, but protective covenants can only be enforced by the filing of a civil lawsuit by an aggrieved party. Law enforcement officers cannot enforce protective covenants in any way.

• During business hours on Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 04:30 pm you may call the Civil Process Department Clerk at 444-5783.

THREE STEPS TO EVICTION

1. The plaintiff must serve the respondent with a written notice giving them ample time to be off the property. They can be served either through certified mail or in person with a witness;  this will provide the plaintiff with proof that they did serve the respondent. As of May 1, 1998 we do not serve any papers that do not come from the court.  (By law we cannot give legal advice, nor can we give an opinion of what ample time is.  Both parties need to ask an attorney).
   
   If the respondent is not out within the time allowed in the notice, the plaintiff needs to get an attorney and go through the court system.  This is necessary because this is not a criminal matter, it is a civil matter, and a decision has to be made by the court.  We will NOT get involved in any type of removal without a court order.
   
   
2. The attorney will issue a summons, complaint, and notice of intent to issue a writ of possession. The respondent has 30 days to file an answer to the complaint for lawsuit, but only has 5 days to file an answer to the notice of intent to issue a Writ of Possession. If the respondent has not filed an answer to the notice within the five days, the plaintiff's attorney will go back to court and get the writ of possession. The summons, complaint, and notice can be served by a private process server, or by the Sheriff’s Office. If the plaintiff chooses the Sheriff’s Office we charge an $80.00 service fee.
   
   
3. Once the Writ of Possession is issued it has to be served by the Sheriff’s Office. We charge $50.00 to serve the Writ of Possession. The respondent will have 24 hours from the time they are served to be out. If they are not out when the 24 hours is up we will contact the plaintiff. It is the plaintiff’s responsibility to have movers there; the respondent’s things have to be moved to a public storage facility.
   
   We are present during the move to keep the peace and inform the respondent that up to this point it has been a civil matter, but once the plaintiff is placed in possession of the property it would be a violation of a court order to come back, and charges could be filed by the plaintiff with the Prosecutor's Office. 

We do not take personal checks. We must have cash, certified check, or money order.

If you have an emergency call 9-1-1. If not, call 479-444-5700. We don't define animals as "vicious" any more, they are declared "hazardous", "potentially dangerous", or "dangerous. We will follow the new animal control ordinance and classify the animal appropriately.

Dangerous and Potentially Dangerous Animals Ordinance

Yes, if the dog causes the problem when it's off its owner's property, we can declare it to be "hazardous" and the owner will be required to keep the dog restrained at all times. Call WCSO. You will need to identify the dog, in person, and sign a complaint form. If the owner files an appeal, you will need to testify in court.

Dangerous and Potentially Dangerous Animals Ordinance

An animal owner shall have fourteen (14) calendar days from receipt of a written declaration from a law enforcement officer finding the owner's animal to be "hazardous", "potentially dangerous", "dangerous" to file a written appeal to the County Court, with further appeal to Circuit Court, as provided by law.

Dangerous and Potentially Dangerous Animals Ordinance

Our address is 1155 W. Clydesdale Dr.

Traveling North Bound on I-49:

If you are traveling north bound on I-49, make a right on Exit 60 (71 South, Cato Spring Springs Rd), turn right onto N. Cato Springs Road, Make a immediate right at south 71 South, turn left merging onto 4 lane, (John Paul Hammersmith Expressway), staying in left lane, travel to the stop light, turn left on S. School Avenue. Go approximately .3 miles on S. School Avenue then turn left on Clydesdale Drive. (Clydesdale Drive is between McBride Distributing and the Tyson’s Entrée Plant) Clydesdale will make a sharp curve to the right you will see the Washington Sheriff’s Office on your left.

Traveling South Bound on I-49:

If you are traveling south bound on I-49, make a right on Exit 61 (71 Business), travel to the stop light, turn left on S. School Avenue. Go approximately .3 miles on S. School Avenue then turn left on Clydesdale Drive. (Clydesdale Drive is between McBride Distributing and the Tyson’s Entrée Plant) Clydesdale will make a sharp curve to the right you will see the Washington Sheriff’s Office on your left.