NEWARK – Their leader calls them the “Secret Service” of the Licking County Courthouse.
But these 13 men and women are not the Secret Service. They’re the probation officers working in the Adult Court Services Department.
Located in offices in Pataskala, the Licking County Justice Center and the Licking County Courthouse, the probation department is handling more than 1,000 cases each year.
The Advocate followed two officers, Walter Barnes and Will Champlin, over a period of two days earlier this week to learn more about what being a probation officer really entails.
Neither Barnes nor Champlin set out to become a probation officer, but both have found homes with the department.
Barnes has been a probation officer since 2008, when he left the Licking County Sheriff’s Office after 15 years there. He supervises all probationers who are on pretrial bond, or haven’t been sentenced yet. He also helps with cases that cross state lines.
Champlin deals with a smaller caseload, about 50 active cases on average, of offenders who have been sentenced to community control. Most of his cases involve some offenders with some form of chemical dependency or addiction.
For both Champlin and Barnes, being able to make a difference is a big reason why they enjoy their jobs.