Sheriff's Corner

Hello from your Sheriff! We certainly had a wild and windy day last week. The Sheriff’s Office, including myself, Undersheriff Howell and Deputy Getman, and the Washington State Patrol Naselle detachment were out and about assisting our great PUD with traffic control for the majority of dayshift on Tuesday March 25th. Trees blown down from the storm took out power lines and blocked roadways in multiple locations. The response from the PUD, local Public Works, and DOT was much appreciated as many of them worked tirelessly to restore power and clear the roads for hours in the inclement weather.

As your Sheriff, public safety is my top concern and my mission includes assisting where and when I can to restore and repair the County’s infrastructure. I recognize that having drivable roads and a reliable electrical grid is necessary for emergency communications, emergency response, and access to amenities such as food, water, and perishable medical supplies. I am thankful that we have such good partnerships with other Wahkiakum County Departments and local services, and I appreciate the times when we can work together for the good of the community. These partnerships are an important part of what Community Policing means to me and the Wahkiakum County Sheriff’s Office.

I want to thank all of you who waited patiently for the storm to subside, the damages to be repaired, and for giving such good cheer at the end of the day. I also want to thank those that reported the variety of incidents caused by the storm as the swift flow of information greatly aided in dispatch and response times. I know of two houses that suffered damage from blown down trees and I am so thankful no one was hurt in these incidents.

Updates from last month’s article: We are still getting reports of scam callers identifying themselves as local law enforcement. Please spread the word of such scams so no one falls victim to them. The large drone sightings have decreased, and we have not received any information from the FAA.

On February 12th I introduced WCSO Emergency Management Coordinator Austin Smith and HHS Emergency Response Coordinator Brandi Beedle to the Cathlamet Senior Friendship Group at the Lutheran Church on Puget Island. Austin and Brandi gave a great presentation on preparedness that included fire danger mitigation and safety. I am very excited to continue the partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and Health and Human Services as it has shown to be a great benefit thus far with community engagement and outreach. We have more projects in store for the community including additional small group presentations. Please let me know if you host a small group in the community and would like a preparedness or safety presentation.

Stay safe Wahkiakum County and don’t forget to spring your clocks forward this weekend!