Putnam County Sheriff's Office to increase patrols during holiday season

Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 3:43 PM

By Paul Gable

With the holiday season on the doorstep, the Putnam County Sheriff's Department is warning residents it will be on patrol.

With Thanksgiving Thursday and then heading towards the hustle and bustle of Christmas, Sheriff Jerrod Baugh is urging motorists to take precautions so everyone can get to their destinations safely. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is working in conjunction with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to increase patrols and high visibility enforcement campaigns focused on Safe Family Travel.

The patrols will begin Thanksgiving weekend and continue through the first of 2026 with a focus on the following: impaired driving, aggressive driving, and seat belt and child restraint violations.

"The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Whether you are driving across our county or across the country, the goal is the same -- arrive safely. Always buckle up and never drive impaired, whether by alcohol or drugs. Any level of impairment is unsafe and can lead to an OWI arrest, or, potentially, a fatal crash," Baugh said.