Q. How can I contest a traffic violation?
A. A person who receives a traffic citation may contest it by going to the court he/she is cited to (listed 0n the citation) and posting bail (paying the amount of the citation). After the person has posted bail, the court clerk will assign a court date for a hearing. If the judge rules in the person's favor, the bail they posted will be refunded. Additional information can be obtained by calling the Stevens County District Court at (620) 544-2484.

Q. How can I get my car out of impound?
A. If a person's vehicle is impounded, the registered owner must go to the Police Department or Sheriff's Department to obtain a release for the vehicle (releases are only given to the registered owner/s). If the registered owner does not have a valid driver's license, he/she must bring along a person who possesses a valid driver's license. If a person's vehicle is impounded as a vehicle forfeiture and the vehicle is owned by more than one person, the other owner (owner from whom the vehicle was not taken) should refer to the information contained in the Notice of Forfeiture Letter that they will receive by mail, to obtain a release.

Q. How can I find out if my vehicle has been towed?
A. A person may call his or her Police Department of Sheriff's Department and give the vehicle license plate number to the desk officer. The desk officer will run the status of the vehicle and will inform the person whether or not their vehicle has been impounded.

Q. How can I report an abandoned vehicle?
A. A person may call the police station or the Sheriff's Department to report an abandoned vehicle. An officer will be dispatched and will place a notice on the vehicle informing the owner that the car will be towed if not moved within a 72-hour period. The officer will return after a 72-hour period. If the vehicle has not been moved, the officer will impound the vehicle.

Q. What should I do if I've been involved in a traffic accident?
A. A person should first ensure that no one is injured. If no one is injured, all parties (drivers) should exchange information: driver's license numbers (if in possession or known), vehicle license numbers, names, addresses, and phone numbers of all drivers (passengers, if possible), and the names of the insurance companies of the drivers involved. The involved persons should also write down the location where the traffic collision occurred (utilizing cross street names or addresses and street names) and the time it occurred.

Q. What are the reporting requirements if I've been involved in a traffic accident?
A. A traffic collision report will be taken by the Police or Sheriff's Department when one of the following reporting criteria is met:

a person involved in the traffic collision has been injured (complaining of pain is considered injury) or dies
one of the drivers is under the influence of alcohol or drugs
one of the drivers has fled the location without stopping to exchange information or check on the welfare of the other parties involved
city or county property is involved (city vehicle, light post, signal light, etc.)
damage in excess of $500 has been done.

Q. How do I make a traffic accident report?
A. To make a traffic accident report, a person only needs to contact the Police or Sheriff's Department and an officer will be dispatched to take the report and investigate the accident. A person can contact either the Police Department or Sheriff's Department by calling one of the following numbers:

911, if it's an emergency
Sheriff -- 620-544-4386.

Q. What is the procedure for posting bail?
A. Bail can be posted at the Stevens County Sheriff's Department 24 hours a day. Bail may be posted in one of the following manners: cash, Surety Bond, cashier's check made payable to the Stevens County Sheriff's Department and drawn on a Kansas bank.

Q. Where and when will an arrestee go to jail?
A. The court arraignment location is determined by two factors: where a person was arrested and the type of charge filed against him/her. Please call the jail facility for more information.

Q. Where will an arrestee be sent after he/she goes to court?
A. Arrestees who remain in custody after arraignment are remanded to the custody of the Stevens County Sheriff's Department.

Q. Is there a telephone number I can call to find out if someone is in jail?
A. The public can call 620-544-4386 24 hours a day to find out if a person is in custody. Callers can obtain information on anyone who is in custody at the jail.

Q. How many visits can an arrestee have?
A. Arrestees may have one visit a week by a friend or family member during established visiting hours. An attorney, bail bondsperson, or member of the clergy may visit anytime.

Q. How can I report child abuse?
A. Call the Police Department, Sheriff's Department, or Social Services Department. In the Hugoton area the phone number is 620-544-4386 or, if the abuse continues, make an emergency call to 911. The identities of callers reporting child abuse are protected by state statute.

Q. How can I report elder abuse?
A. The serious nature of the problem of elder abuse and dependent adult abuse, coupled with the increasing numbers of reports of such abuse, has made it vital that the Stevens County Sheriff's Department, Hugoton Police Department, and Kansas Department of SRS work closely together to provide a meaningful response to abuse reports.

"Elder physical abuse" is defined as a situation where any person who has the care or custody of, or who stands in a position of trust with an elder, willfully inflicts upon that elder any cruel or inhuman corporal punishment or injury. Physical abuse includes, but is not limited to, direct beatings, sexual assault, unreasonable physical constraint, or prolonged deprivation of food or water.

To report elder abuse, call the Police Department, Sheriff's Department, or Social Services Department. In the Hugoton area that phone number is 620-544-4386, or if the abuse continues, make an emergency call to 911.

Q. When should I use 911 versus 7-digit telephone lines?
A. Call 911 when there is a life or death emergency that requires the immediate response of emergency service such as police, fire, or paramedic. Always call 911 when there is a medical problem or something that requires any of the emergency services to respond. Emergency services include the police, sheriff, ambulance, and fire departments.

When there is a situation that requires police response but is not an emergency, use the non-emergency 7-digit telephone numbers:

Sheriff: 620-544-4386
Ambulance: 620-544-2562.

Q. How can I call 911 at all times?
A. All 911 calls are received by Police Dispatchers who are trained to screen call quickly and efficiently. When calling to report a non-emergency incident, dial the operator and ask for a non-emergency police line. This does not require money when calling from a pay phone.

Dial 911 (on a pay phone it is not necessary to deposit money).
Tell the 911 operator what you need--ambulance, fire truck, or the police.
Be calm. When a caller is upset, it is hard to understand what he or she is saying or to get vital information quickly.
Stay on the phone. Do not hang up!
Give your name and address. If your address is different from the location of the crimes, be sure to let the operator know.
If possible, give the operator suspect description, weapons (if any), and vehicle descriptions and license.
Emergency operators will verify your address and telephone to ensure that the telephone company address that is sent with the call is current and accurate. People living in mobile home parks or on private roads often have addresses that differ from the telephone company street addresses. If you fall into one of these categories, contact the Stevens County Emergency Services Department to find out what your legal street address is.

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