For the month of May 2024, the Ellis Police Department responded to 172 calls for service, conducted 64 traffic stops, and issued one traffic citation. The citation was for speeding, with the alleged speed being 50 mph in a 30 mph zone.
The Ellis Police Department also conducted several felony and misdemeanor investigations, resulting in two adult arrests. The following adults were arrested in March by the Ellis Police Department:
On May 26, Lukas Hale was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, and possession of marijuana. He was cited and released.
On May 26, Justin Potter was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was cited and released. These suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.
As an update to April’s dangerous dog hearings, both dogs in question were determined to be dangerous in Municipal Court.
With the summer season beginning in June, snakes will inevitably be moving about in your neighborhood.
On May 21, the Ellis Police Department was notified of a medium-sized bullsnake that was trespassing in one of our community member’s yards.
The Ellis Police Department is equipped to evict our slippery serpent sidekicks and move them to a more suitable area. Please call the non-emergency dispatch number at 785-625-1011 to have an officer respond.
On the off chance that someone is bitten by a snake, dial 911 immediately and attempt to keep calm until one of us can respond to identify the snake and remove it.
If you can take a picture, it can aid us in identifying the snake as well.
Western Kansas has two primary venomous snakes—the prairie rattlesnake and the western massasauga. Rattlesnakes are adept swimmers but are rarely encountered in water.
Although cottonmouths or “water moccasins” do live in Kansas, they have only been identified in Cherokee County, which borders Missouri and Oklahoma.
Most often, snakes that you will encounter in or along our creek are common watersnakes, which are harmless.
You can find an informational handbook on snakes in Kansas here: https://gpnc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2018/02/KS-Snakes.pdf
The Ellis Police Department was excited to lead the annual EHS Alumni Association Parade on May 25 and assist with the Ellis VFW’s Memorial Day Ceremonies.
We look forward to assisting with next year’s events! As always, we are seeking photos to be used for these monthly reports. Please email them to me at [email protected] or message them to us via our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EllisPoliceDepartment Thank you all for your support!
—Chief Smith