Sheriff – Houston County

Sheriff Home Firearms Application / Information Fireworks/Information Houston County Jail PREA Violation Form Citizen's Complainant Form Forms Mandated Policies Ordinances Useful Links

Sheriff Home

The staff of the Houston County Sheriff's Office is committed to making Houston County a safe place for you and your family to live and work. Sheriff Brian Swedberg is very proud of their efforts on your behalf in arresting and incarcerating criminals, taking drunk drivers off the road, and responding to emergencies.

The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer for Houston County and shall pursue and apprehend all those that violate the law and lodge them in county jail, which he is also in charge of. In addition to supervising the deputies, jailers and dispatchers who work under him, the Sheriff is also responsible for all civil process, writs, and subpoenas made by lawful process for delivery. The Sheriff is also in charge of Court Security and takes charge of all juries that are serving on a case. The Sheriff's Office is also responsible for water patrol and conducts search and rescue operations.

If any of us can ever be of assistance to you or your family, please feel free to contact us. Please be safe!

If you are interested in the Sheriff's Association Scholarship click the link below

There are no scholarships available at this time

Firearms Application / Information

HOUSTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MN PERMIT TO CARRY

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office issues permits to carry for residents of Houston County. City Police Departments are not authorized to issue Permits to Carry. Application for a permit to carry should be made at the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. The application for a Permit to Carry a Firearm is available online from the MN Department of Public Safety website here.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must:

Apply in Person
Be 21 years of age and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
Provide photo ID (driver’s license, state photo identification card or valid passport with photo)
Provide proof of firearms training by a certified instructor per MN Statute 624.714 sub 2(a). The State of MN Department of Public Safety maintains a list of certified firearm trainers. (Certificate is valid for one year only).
Submit a completed Application for Permit to Carry and cash or check for the applicable carry permit fee (no credit/debit cards)

Applications are accepted:

Houston County Sheriff’s Office
306 S Marshall, Suite 1100
Caledonia, MN, 55921
Phone: 507-725-3379, ext. 4122 or 4124

Hours:

Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (excluding holidays)

Fees	MN Resident	Out of County Resident
New Application	$65.00	$100.00
Renewal (Prior to expiration date. Can renew within 90 days of expiration date and not sooner)	$45.00	$75.00
Late Renewal (After expiration date but within 30 days of expiration date)	$55.00	$85.00
Military/Law Enforcement - New (Military must provide copy of DD2 or DL that specifies you are a veteran	$35.00	$35.00
Military/Law Enforcement - Renewal	$30.00	$30.00
Personal Data Change/Replacement	$10.00	$10.00

Background Check:

We will conduct a series of background-related checks to assure you meet the eligibility requirements established by state law. Applicants must not be prohibited by law from possessing a firearm. Once those checks are successfully completed, a permit will be issued that is valid for five years and may be used to carry a firearm statewide. The carry permit also allows you to purchase firearms; no permit to purchase a firearm in Minnesota is required while you possess a valid permit to carry. For additional information and frequently asked questions, refer to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety/Bureau of Criminal Apprehension website.

Name/Address Change:

Contact the Sheriff’s Office at 507-725-3379 for instructions on how to change your name or address on your permit to carry.

HOUSTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MN PERMIT TO PURCHASE

Application for a permit to purchase a firearm should be made for residents of the city of Caledonia and city of La Crescent, at their local Police Departments. For all other residents of Houston County the application should be made at the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. You may only apply in the county/city where you reside. The application for the Permit to Purchase a Firearm is available online from the MN Department of Public Safety or we do have them at the Sheriff’s Office. You can download the application from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension website here.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must:

Apply in person or by mail – must attach a legible colored copy of photo ID if mailing in application. Please make sure application is complete, if not, the application will be mailed back to you to complete.
Be at least 18 years of age and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
Provide photo ID (driver’s license, state photo identification card or valid passport with photo)
Submit a completed Application for Permit to Purchase a Firearm
Once the application is received, the office has 7 days to process the application. We will conduct a series of background-related checks to assure you meet the eligibility requirements established by state law. Once those checks are successfully completed a permit will be issued for one year and may be used to purchase firearms statewide. The permit card will be mailed to you. For additional information and restrictions, refer to the MN BCA website listed above.

Fees

There is no fee for the Permit to Purchase application

Hours and Location

Applications are accepted:
Houston County Sheriff’s Office
306 S Marshall Street, Suite 1100
Caledonia, MN 55921
Phone 507-725-3379, ext. 4122 or 4124

Monday through Friday

8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Excluding Holidays)

Other Locations

City of Caledonia Residents
Caledonia Police Department
304 E. Main Street
Caledonia, MN 55921
507-725-3889

City of La Crescent Residents
La Crescent Police Department
315 Main Street
La Crescent, MN 55947
507-895-4414

Fireworks/Information

Houston County Jail

Administration
Crime Victims
In Custody
Video Visitation
Inmate Phone System
Detainees Canteen
Postal Mail To Inmates
Programs At The Houston County Jail
Volunteering
Applicant Fingerprints
Jail History

Administration

Sheriff Brian L. Sweberg: 507-725-3379 extension 4101

Chief Deputy Bill Hargrove: 507-725-3379 extension 4102

Jail Administrator Rachel Meyer: 507-725-3379 extension 4120

Crime Victims

If you are a victim and wish to have notification on an offender's incarceration status, you can register at any time by calling toll-free 1-877-MN-4-VINE or 1-877-664-8463 or click here. When the offender is released, transferred, or escapes, the registered person(s) will receive an automatic telephone notification. (Do not depend solely on the VINE Service for your protection. If you feel that you may be at risk, take precautions as if the offender has already been released).

You may also contact Houston County Victims Services Office at 507-725-5831.

In Custody

Incarcerated Inmates In Custody Roster

Video Visitation

At the Houston County Jail you will encounter “video visiting”. This means there is no face to face contact between the visitor and the detainee. Our Visiting Hours are:

Thursdays: 12:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday and Sunday: 5:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

You must have a Turnkey Account set-up prior to visit https://secure.inmatecanteen.com
If you do not have access to a computer, you are able to set up an account on site prior to visiting. Turnkey visitation is on a first come, first serve basis.
Each time you visit you will need to present a pictured identification card or pictured driver’s license.
Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The children must be supervised at all times while in the facility.

Inmate Phone System

If you are having problems or wish to purchase phone time you may call the Reliance Telephone Vendor at 1-800-896-3201.

Detainees Canteen

Cash or credit card deposits are accepted for a detainee via our lobby kiosk, or deposits can be made online at www.InmateCanteen.com.

Postal Mail to Inmates:

“The Inmates Name”
C/O Houston County Jail
306 South Marshall Street
Caledonia, MN 55921

Programs at the Houston County Jail

Alcoholics Anonymous
Adult Basic Education
Religion Services
Chemical Dependency
Job Search and Job Skills
Narcotics Anonymous
Library
Recreational time
Inmate Worker Program
Work release program
Sentence to Service

Volunteering

Volunteers play a significant role to assist with some of the programming listed above.
If you are interested in volunteering or have questions, please give us a call at 507-725-3379 ext 4120.

Applicant Fingerprints

Fingerprint Hours:
Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00 PM

You will need to call and schedule an appointment to be printed at 507-725-3379, ext 4124 or 4126. Fingerprints are $10.00 per card and you must have the correct amount. We do not take credit cards. Please do not fill out the fingerprint card beforehand. The prints are done electronically with our machine and the printed card is then given to the applicant.

Jail History

The original historic jail which is still standing was built in 1875 to house both male and female prisoners. The Sheriff, his wife and family resided in historic jail up to the 1970’s. In the late 1970’s, the interior of the jail was remodeled. The historic jail was placed on the state and national historic registry. It was licensed by the Minnesota Department of Corrections as the oldest operating jail in the State of Minnesota prior to closing in October 2011 with a maximum capacity of 14 beds to house adult males only.

The current Houston County Justice Center was opened on October 31, 2011 licensed to house 30 male and female prisoners. The facility offers video visitation, inmate recreation, inmate programming, inmate canteen, full service kitchen, inmate laundry and inmate phone service. The facility was constructed with 41 unit cells with the capability of double bunking in each unit. The sally port is located off of South Marshall Street on the north side of the facility. The public parking is located along East South Street to accommodate the Justice Center and the Historic Courthouse. Additional occupancy of the facility includes the Sheriff Office, Court Administration, Department of Corrections, County Attorney and Victim Services. The Architect of the facility was Klein/McCarthy Architect of St. Louis Park, MN. The Construction Manager of the facility was Knutson Construction of Rochester, MN.

PREA Violation Form

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office located in Caledonia, MN is making this site available to anyone that would need to report a sexual assault while in the custody of any law enforcement agency or correctional facility that has not previously been reported. We urge you to take the time to complete the e-mail form below.

All reported incidents will be investigated. If the complaint is against an agency other than the Houston County Sheriff’s Office located in Caledonia, MN the complaint will be forwarded to the appropriate facility for follow-up.

Your information will remain anonymous, but if you wish to be contacted by an investigator, please complete the contact information below.

This form is to be used ONLY to report sexual assaults while in the custody of any law enforcement agency, and is not for the use of reporting other crimes or general complaints of the Correctional Facility. To report other crimes being committed in the Jurisdiction of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office in Caledonia, MN you may call the Sheriff’s Office directly by dialing (507) 725-3379 or visiting our website at http://co.houston.mn.us/Sheriff.aspx

What is PREA

Citizen's Complainant Form

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office located in Caledonia, MN is making this site available to anyone that would need to report a complaint on a Sheriff’s Office employee that has not previously been reported. We urge you to take the time to fully read and complete the form. The completed form can be delivered to the Sheriff’s Office by: mailing to the address listed on the form, delivered in person to the Sheriff’s Office, or completing the below form.

All reported complaints will be taken seriously and be handled through the appropriate channels.

Once your complaint is completed, your information along with the outcome of the investigation will become public data.

This form is to ONLY be used to report complaints on Houston County, MN, Sheriff’s Office employees, and is not for the use of reporting a crime. To report a crime being committed in the Jurisdiction of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota, you may call the Sheriff’s Office directly by dialing (507) 725-3379 ext. 1.

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