Major Bruce Taylor , Division Commander

The Electronic Monitoring Division came under the administration of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office in the beginning of 2006. Working in conjunction with the Courts, the Electronic Monitoring Division is responsible for providing a cost-effective alternative to incarceration by establishing a flexible sentencing option for the Municipal and Common Pleas Judges of Hamilton County, while simultaneously reducing jail overcrowding and providing necessary community safeguards through intense supervision. Major Bruce A. Taylor serves as the Division Commander.

The program's focal point is the rigorous administration of supervision through in-field surveillance and electronic monitoring of offenders' activities with an immediate response to infractions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The evaluation, processing and statistical application of the offender’s data is conducted by the Electronic Monitoring Investigators who determines the eligibility of entry into the program and offenders conformity to the rules and regulations of the monitoring program. Judges orders are reviewed for any special conditions that may be a requirement of Electronic Monitoring placement, such as drug and alcohol testing, community service hours, maintain employment, restraining orders, etc. Entered data is checked and analyzed for precision and program compliance.

Electronic Monitoring Enforcement Officers are highly skilled and motivated "in field" Deputy Sheriffs, establishing offenders' compliance with Court ordered supervision. One of the officers primary duties requires frequent contact with an offender. Home visits are randomly conducted not only to inspect monitoring equipment inside the residence but also to evaluate the overall conformity of the offender to the conditions set forth in the rules of the participation agreement.

Electronic monitoring is also utilized when the offender has been granted permission to be at his/her place of employment, school, or other pre-approved, outside the home activity. The field officer utilize a portable hand-held receiver that is capable of detecting the offender's location within a defined area. This enhances compliance by ensuring that the field officers can identify the offender's whereabouts at any given time throughout the period of Court order supervision.

The EMD officer is an invaluable asset in the application of community based control, not only gaining essential information and insight on the supervised offender but also by building relationships within the community. The intense and random field supervision through the Electric Monitoring Division is an effective tool in compelling offender to abide by the Court's order and dissuade associating with undesirables and engaging in illicit behavior.

The Electronic Monitoring program has proven to be a cost effective means to supervise offenders while safeguarding the community. The development of the intensive field unit will help to ensure that the cost of Electronic Monitoring supervision remains significantly lower than traditional custodial confinement. Global Positioning System, or GPS, will soon be available to monitor certain high risk offenders on a perpetual basis utilizing the latest in wireless technology and satellite tracking.