Howell County Sheriff’s First Year in Office

This second installment examining Howell County Sheriff Matt Roberts’ first year in office focuses on the law enforcement work the department has done – by the numbers. Calls for service increased by over 1,600. In 2024, the department answered 17,713; in 2025, 19,344.  In a Feb. 13 interview, Sheriff Roberts called this a, “considerable jump,” and attributed the increased service calls to the success of what he termed, “proactive patrols.”

 

According to Roberts, this means, “getting guys out on county roads and looking for abnormalities and getting them tuned in to what to look for. When you see them out on the roads pulled over to the  side, they are looking for certain driving behaviors.”

 

As an example, he mentioned the arrest of Bobbie Fisher, 39, of Caulfield. Fisher was the subject of a months-long narcotics investigation in Howell County and on bond for a narcotics charge when she was arrested during a traffic stop on Feb. 12. She had been pulled over in the same vehicle earlier in the day in a different county but was not arrested, Sheriff Roberts pointed out. In Howell County, Fisher is facing a new Class A felony charge for drug trafficking. As of press time, Fisher remains in Howell County Jail. 

 

Drug-related arrests jumped from 87 in 2024 to 121 in 2025, Roberts also reported. Driving while intoxicated arrests increased from 14 to 35. 

 

Roberts did not pinpoint any crime trends or increased activity based on the numbers  presented, but did point out that he is categorizing calls for service into more labels in 2025 than 2024, adding, for example, calls for scams, citizen assist, fugitive task force, and information only. 

 

Looking ahead to the Sheriff’s goals for 2026, he has a list, not of systemic changes but facility improvements, equipment to obtain, and grants to chase. 

 

For facility improvements, Roberts said he plans to upgrade the exterior lighting at the HSCO headquarters with light poles from the old Ryan’s parking lot donated by the Stewart Family of West Plains. He also plans to finalize gate systems and get a padded cell in the jail. Donations from the cities of West Plains and Koshkonong– old turf from the ball fields and a modular trailer, respectively – will be used to upgrade the training range. 

 

So will a sizeable cash donation. The 2026 budget includes $75,000 earmarked for range improvements. 

 

“We received a very generous donation last year and will be utilizing those funds for expenses related to improving our facility. I wanted to use these funds on something that would make a lasting impact on our area law enforcement and not something that would be worn out and gone in a few years like a new vehicle,” Roberts wrote in a follow up email to Howell County News. 

 

This training facility is open to area agencies and currently has use agreements in place with Missouri State Highway Patrol, and Willow Springs and Mountain View Police Departments. 

 

A patrol fleet rotation program is on the list of Roberts’ 2026 goals, and so are in-car cameras. 

 

“We need those now that we’re doing the PIT maneuver,” Roberts said. The Precise Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver is the intentional use of law enforcement vehicles by a certified deputy to stop a vehicle fleeing in a pursuit. 

 

Part Three of this series will focus on the state of Howell County Jail and the security updates at Howell County Courthouse. 

 

If you missed Part One: Campaign Promises, request a copy by calling the news office at 417-252-2123 or find it online at howellcountynews.com.