The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

New Year’s greetings from the Sheriff! In my many contacts with the public, I have heard how folks like to know what’s happening in the Sheriff’s Office or the community as it relates to law enforcement in general. I am going to utilize this column to get the word out, give updates in neighborhood crime trends, humorous stories, give crime prevention tips, and communicate various law enforcement information to you so that you may become better informed and more connected to your Sheriff’s Office.

In the last couple of months the Westend neighborhoods from Deep River to Salme Road have experienced metal thefts and suspicious persons knocking on doors for gas. One homeowner was kind enough to give a man gas and the next day he discovered gas cans and equipment stolen from his shed. Another property owner had several metal items stolen from their yard. On many of these occasions the suspects were 2-3 large males in a dark pickup. Call 911 if strangers are asking for gas at your door, you see suspicious people sitting in vehicles where they don’t belong, or if someone that you don't recognize is lurking around a neighbor’s property. If you can safely get a license plate it helps us to track down the person involved.

We are moving forward with a school emergency response plan in the Wahkiakum School District. The initial meeting with the district and emergency responders is set for this month. From the planning stages we will move to a table top exercise to include the Sheriff's Office, Department of Emergency Management, school and transportation personnel, Fire/EMS, and Health & Human Services. This will get our first responders and school staff trained with a coordinated response effort in the event there is a major emergency at the schools such as a natural disaster, school shooting, or unusual occurrence.

Speaking of school safety, based on citizen complaints the Sheriff's Office is conducting random traffic enforcement at the schools. We are finding a lot of violations both in speed as well as drivers not stopping at stop signs and there have been close calls in the past where pedestrians have nearly been hit. Please be mindful and drive safe. You don’t want to be the one that hits a neighbor’s child on the way to school.

Please look forward to a write-up each month. There is much more to come. Stay safe!