South West Illinois News

Sheriff Neal Rohlfing is focused on improving the safety of Monroe County.

“My main goal has been to provide a high level of public safety for all the citizens of Monroe County,” Rohlfing told SW Illinois News. “I have promoted our deputies to be proactive against individuals who wish to bring narcotics in the county, commit property crimes, or those who prey on our youth and elderly.”

Rohlfing previously worked for the Fairview Heights Police Department, serving as a patrol officer, field training officer and firearms instructor. He has also been on the Illinois Law Enforcement Special Response Team, the St. Clair County Drug Tactical Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force. In 2012, while a task force officer with the DEA, he worked on a major crystal methamphetamine case that started in Waterloo and reached California.

Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing

Rohlfing was elected Monroe County Sheriff in 2014.

“I ran for this position because of the dangerous drug trends I began to see in Monroe County,” he said.

Under Rohlfing’s leadership, traffic stops have increased 200 percent, felony drug arrests have increased 3,800 percent, and investigators are solving 80 percent of the county’s burglaries and thefts.

“We focus our enforcement actions on individuals committing violent crimes and have utilized a special unit we created called the Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Unit,” Rohlfing said. “This Unit is operating at above 90 percent success level in making felony drug arrests when it is deployed.”

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department also provides for less fortunate kids during Christmas through its Shop with a Sheriff program; offers active shooter response training for schools, businesses and places of worship; assists those with mental illness and substance abuse by working closely with Human Support Services; and helps bring individuals who buy, sell and trade child porn to justice through its collaboration with the Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Rohlfing has an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Belleville Area College and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He graduated with high academic honors from both educational institutions. He went on to attend the Southwestern Illinois College Police Academy in Belleville and graduated with the Academic award.

“I have always wanted to be a law enforcement officer as long as I can remember,” Rohlfing said. “My grandfather was a conservation officer for the State of Illinois and had a major role in my decision to pursue the field.”

When he’s not working, Rohlfing enjoys spending time with his family and friends, helping out on his family farm, fishing and hunting.