A drop in timber sales in Oregon has resulted in federal and state budget cuts and left some rural towns without enough police officers to provide 24-hour services. As a result, 911 calls are going unanswered, and some residents are turning to the local fire department when an emergency arises.
"Many of Oregon’s rural counties have long depended on timber sales to support funding for public safety services," with 33 of 36 counties receiving timber payments, reports Oregon Public Broadcasting. With timber sales down, some police units have been depleted, and residents are left helpless in an emergency. Michael McArthur, executive director of the Association of Oregon Counties, told OPB, "If you call 911 in rural Oregon it may be quite a while before someone comes, if they come at all. We have inadequate public safety in a number of regions of the state.” (Read more)
Southern Oregon has been hit especially hard. Josephine County (Wikipedia map) last year voted against raising taxes to pay for sheriff's patrols, leaving most of the calls to be answered by state troopers, reports The Associated Press. "The sheriff's office has slashed its staff as the
federal government cut timber subsidies and voters rejected higher
taxes. After the cuts, investigations handled by troopers went from 5 to
10 cases a month to 50 to 85 cases," with state police investigating nearly 800 cases in the county, with 86 percent of them referred by the sheriff's office. (Read more)
When they don't get a response from police, callers are turning to the fire department. In Cave Junction, also in Josephine County, Illinois Valley Fire District Chief Dennis Hoke responded to a call last week for medical aid. "What he and his medics found when they arrived at the house was a man who'd been attacking a caregiver," AP writes. "The man was wearing pajama bottoms and throwing rocks through windows. The female caregiver was barricaded in the house." Hoke said, "I had to get my concealed weapon out and contemplate, `What am I going to do?' We should never be put in that position. I didn't know if he had a gun. If we had known an assault was in progress, we never would have responded without backup." (Read more)
Les Zaitz, senior investigative reporter for The Oregonian in Portland, wonders how the safe the state's rural residents feel. "In rural parts of Oregon's Willamette Valley, one county sheriff had to drop around-the-clock coverage. In the rural south, another sheriff sends his patrol deputy home at 4 p.m., hoping other agencies handle any emergencies. And in the rural east, a sheriff laments the long time it takes for police to get to an emergency."
"Prompted by headlines about budget cuts, The Oregonian is taking an in-depth look at this issue," Zaitz writes. "I'm traveling the state to find out what is truly at stake on the coast, in the mountains and out on the desert. I'm pouring over statistics and budgets. I'm asking experts how to best evaluate a police agency, whether it's a city police department or a sheriff's office. I'd like to hear from you on this issue." (Read more)
"Many of Oregon’s rural counties have long depended on timber sales to support funding for public safety services," with 33 of 36 counties receiving timber payments, reports Oregon Public Broadcasting. With timber sales down, some police units have been depleted, and residents are left helpless in an emergency. Michael McArthur, executive director of the Association of Oregon Counties, told OPB, "If you call 911 in rural Oregon it may be quite a while before someone comes, if they come at all. We have inadequate public safety in a number of regions of the state.” (Read more)
When they don't get a response from police, callers are turning to the fire department. In Cave Junction, also in Josephine County, Illinois Valley Fire District Chief Dennis Hoke responded to a call last week for medical aid. "What he and his medics found when they arrived at the house was a man who'd been attacking a caregiver," AP writes. "The man was wearing pajama bottoms and throwing rocks through windows. The female caregiver was barricaded in the house." Hoke said, "I had to get my concealed weapon out and contemplate, `What am I going to do?' We should never be put in that position. I didn't know if he had a gun. If we had known an assault was in progress, we never would have responded without backup." (Read more)
Les Zaitz, senior investigative reporter for The Oregonian in Portland, wonders how the safe the state's rural residents feel. "In rural parts of Oregon's Willamette Valley, one county sheriff had to drop around-the-clock coverage. In the rural south, another sheriff sends his patrol deputy home at 4 p.m., hoping other agencies handle any emergencies. And in the rural east, a sheriff laments the long time it takes for police to get to an emergency."
"Prompted by headlines about budget cuts, The Oregonian is taking an in-depth look at this issue," Zaitz writes. "I'm traveling the state to find out what is truly at stake on the coast, in the mountains and out on the desert. I'm pouring over statistics and budgets. I'm asking experts how to best evaluate a police agency, whether it's a city police department or a sheriff's office. I'd like to hear from you on this issue." (Read more)
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