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

Happy new year!

Well the new year is getting started with a kick and the Sheriff's Office is abuzz with several new deputies! Two of our new recruits already lived in our county at the time of hire and all of them are excited and dedicated to protecting and serving this county with professionalism and honor, and all have a public servant's heart. Upon graduation from the academy we will be posting their photos, bios, and introducing them to the community.

We are looking to fill one corrections/dispatch position and are going to have a local in-county test soon. See our local ad in the newspaper for job description, salary/benefits and instructions on applying for this position if you feel the calling to public service and are ready for this challenging but rewarding career. See our Sheriff's Office Facebook page for more information as well.

I run statistics every year to evaluate crime trends in our county. I can thankfully report that we have seen a decrease in thefts in 2018 from the year 2017. The number of burglaries remained the same. Although our number of calls for service as well as cases decreased overall in these areas, we have had a couple of high-profile thefts and burglaries from areas like Vista Park, Columbia River Kayaking and the Skamokawa Fire Hall, as well as the recent burglary and theft at the Grays River Fire Hall. We are still interested in any information regarding these thefts. Please contact the Sheriff's Office with any information even if it seems insignificant. Most burglaries occur in out-buildings, garages, or shops. Usually it is due to one or two thieves in a neighborhood, who take advantage of items that are not secured or outbuildings that are not locked up. Please remember to secure your tools and equipment and lock all buildings when not in use. Putting up motion sensor lights keeps thieves at bay since the dark is their friend and they shy away from stealing from areas that are lit up. Most of the time if we are not able to catch a thief red-handed, we are able to solve it through witnesses or information we obtain from the public. There is rarely evidence left at a burglary scene to catch them and we rarely get good fingerprints to send to the databank. So, it is crucial that you contact us directly with any information you hear or receive about crimes in your neighborhood! Keep a watchful eye out for your own property as well as your neighbors. We have prevented and caught criminals because of your help!

This is going to be an exciting year for the Sheriff's Office and for our county in general. There are a lot of events and opportunities for Sheriff's Office - community interactions ahead. We will also be involved with the upcoming career days at both Naselle and Wahkiakum Schools this spring. We are going to continue our Coffee with a Cop throughout the year, alternating west end with east end meetings. Please join us for a cup of joe, tea, or whatever your liking and chat with us about happenings, concerns, ideas, and questions you may have of your Sheriff's Office. Our deputies will be involved in these gatherings as well so keep an eye on upcoming dates and locations in The Eagle and on Facebook.

Best wishes to all in this fresh, optimistic new year and stay safe in all your travels!