Clatskanie - Columbia City - Deer Island - Goble - Mist - Rainier - Scappoose - St. Helens - Vernonia - Warren
Spring seems to be springing late -- the rains have kept the ground soggy--but it appears the days are heating up, now. Without regard to the weather, the Sheriff's   Office is plugging ahead with ren ewed energy and vigor.  Thi s issue of the newsletter focuses on renewal: in our jail; in our Enforcement Division; with our search and rescue team; and even in the front office.

We also have links to our annual report for the 2016 calendar year; to our new, online dog licensing page that enables you to license your dogs any time of day, any day of the week; and to a number of pages on our website designed to improve our communications and services to the public we serve!

We also include updates on a number of issues important to our constituents, as well as tremendous stories of the successes our employees have enjoyed in carrying out our mission to Conserve the Peace in our County and to make our communities a safe place live, work and recreate!

Thank you for taking the time to peruse this e-Newsletter. I  wish you and your loved ones a great and safe spring!

Sincerely,
Sheriff Jeff Dickerson
Jail Levy Renewal Means Safe, Secure Jail Operations to Continue for Next Four Years!

When voters approved the levy renewal for the jail last November, it guaranteed that the jail would stay in business for the next four years.  Staff and Administration noted that the support for the jail's operations has grown tremendously since 2013.  In that year, we failed to gain support for operations and were on the verge of closing the facility.  When voters approved the levy in May 2014, the jail was brought back to life and began holding all those who were brought to us for as long as legally possible.  Forced releases due to staffing and budget issues are now a thing of the past.  Voters confirmed the positive direction in which the jail has headed since 2014 when they approved the levy a second time in November 2016.   

With renewed confidence that our efforts are having a positive impact on the safety and security needs of our County, we have redoubled our efforts in inmate programs designed to reduce crime in our communities.  The jail is not only a place to hold those who are ongoing threats to the community from time to time, but also a place for beginning the healing process -- helping to change the path of those who want to change--and, hopefully creating a better tomorrow for all.
Enforcement Division Undergoing Change & Renewal
                                                                                                                     
        As part of our pursuit toward excellence, we consistently look for ways to make our organization more effective and efficient. The Enforcement Division has made some organizational changes to put more leadership in the field and reducing costs in the process.  
Enforcement Deputies Serve a Search Warrant
   This has been done by eliminating the rank of undersheriff and adding a second sergeantposition.  We now have a sergeant on each 12-hour shift, and an Enforcement Division lieutenant over all the units within the division: patrol, criminal investigations, marine, search and rescue, reserves, and dog control.

The Enforcement Division has also been granted two new positions in the 2018 fiscal year budget.   Coming this September, we will have a second detective position and a new patrol unit position.  The new positions will add investigative strength on the back end of the more complex criminal calls our deputies go to, while also increasing the staffing on the patrol side.  Both positions will add greater capacity to respond to the increasing number of calls for service our Enforcement team is receiving, by putting more deputies on the road on the front end and reducing the number of times road deputies will be called upon to handle more complex investigations that take them off the road.

Sheriff's Office Issues Annual Report for 2016

The Sheriff's Annual Report contains information for the previous calendar year in regard to the activities and accomplishments of each of our three divisions:  Enforcement, Corrections and Support Services.  Below is a link to the online copy of the report.


  Sheriff Authorizes Online Dog Licensing
You can now license your dogs online.     
The link below will take you to our dog licensing page which allows you to pay for your dog license(s) without having to come down to the Sheriff's Office or send checks through the mail.   The license will be subject to our ability to verify rabies inoculation for each dog to be licensed, but you can use a credit or debit card from remote locations to get it done. Also, you can still obtain your license through the local Humane Society animal shelter or through participating veterinarian offices in the County.    


Front Office Changes Designed to Improve Customer Service


We have new office hours for our front office.   We now remain open during the lunch hour.  Back in the day of our budget cuts, we reduced our hours on Fridays and the Lunch Hour.  Last year, we were able to reopen on Fridays, and recent developments have enabled us to remain open throughout the day, without closing for lunch.

The front office handles all warrant and restraining order requests during business hours, as well as running our concealed handgun licensing, dog licensing and civil process services.

The front Office also handles all inmate visiting services and conducts fingerprinting for various needs within the community.
 
CIVIL AND RECORDS

CONCEALED HANDGUN LICENSING & FINGERPRINTING


News and Notes Roundup!
  • Sheriff's Deputies Raid Rainier Area property, recover stolen property   READ MORE 
  • Deputies Attend "Big Rig Day" at McBride School    SEE MORE
  • The CCSO Marine Patrol Unit will be focusing on Boating Safety throughout the Summer, with a special emphasis on interdicting Boating Under the Influence of Intoxicants violations in the week leading to the 4th of July holiday.  READ MORE
  • Women's Self Defense Classes will be held again this summer at the Sheriff's Office!  READ MORE
  • Did you know that the jail is equipped with means to make sure that even the most threatening, violent and/or volatile inmates can have their day in court?  A courtroom within the jail provides inmates and their lawyers the access to the judicial system through in-person and remote (via video) court proceedings!  Often such inmates require extra restraints that make it difficult for them to appear in the courthouse.  Deputies are expert at using these special restraints to move such inmates to the courtroom with minimal risk to themselves or to the restrained inmate.
  • Search and Rescue:  In April, our Volunteer Search and Rescue Team held their annual overnight training event at Camp Wilkerson.  Enforcement staff also joined the team for part of the training.  The team also helped clear some of the hiking trails that had become cluttered with debris from winter storms. 
Community Resources

Provides services for victims and survivors of family violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and for persons facing other crises.

Founded in 1966, Community Action Team is committed to:
  • Reducing the extent and negative effects of poverty
  • Increase family self-reliance
  • Improving community facilities and affordable housing stock
Non-profit organization whose mission is to provide services to individuals and families in need of:
  • mental health care
  • addiction treatment
  • psychiatric rehabilitation
  • developmental disabilities services 
  Columbia County Warming Center Facebook Page
 When the weather turns cold and you have nowhere to go to sleep at night

Resources from the Sheriff's Office to help defeat fraudulent schemes


It is our great pleasure to serve the citizens of Columbia County with premium law enforcement, corrections, civil and emergency response services.  Our vision is to
serve the citizens of our county with:
  • effective and efficient public safety services;
  • a safe, secure and efficient incarceration facility that contributes to a better quality of life; and,
  • reliable court and civil process services.
   Each employee is enabled to solve problems by taking ownership and believing he or she can form partnerships with our citizens and fellow public safety providers to make our community an ideal place to live, work and recreate. 


 For the current Agency-Wide Strategic Plan, You can go  Here!


For the sake of livable communities,

Columbia County Sheriff's Office
901 Port Ave.
St. Helens, OR 97051
Phone: (503) 366-4611
Fax: (503) 366-4644
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