Thursday, March 01, 2012

Clatsop County Sheriff Department Hosts: RURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DISTRICT MEETING SET FOR MARCH 8

Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office will host a meeting of the Rural Law Enforcement District
Advisory Committee on Thursday, March 8 at 6 p.m. at the Sheriff’s Office
Conference Room, 355 7th St, Astoria.

The advisory committee meetings serve as an opportunity for the Sheriff’s Office to brief the
panel and residents on the activities and programs the Sheriff’s Office is
conducting. The primary purpose of this meeting is to discuss the requested
2012-13 Fiscal Year Rural Law Enforcement District budget.

The meetings provide a forum where the public can freely address their issues, concerns and
suggestions to the Sheriff’s Office and the advisory committee. At the
conclusion of the meeting the Sheriff will be available to talk with anyone on
any issue of interest.

Released by: Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting that sheriff Bergin has called this meeting now. He had not had much to do with the law enforcement districts until confroted by four, yes four, people who think he is doing such a bad job they want to replace him. So, I hope that all the candidates attend this meeting to hear what sheriff Bergin has to say. Maybe he will explain how he has been able to do nothing during the past six years.

Patrick McGee said...

You do realize, of course, that the idea of keeping, enhancing and enlarging the occupant capacity of our existing jail was Bergin's all along don't you? Unfortunately tabled and virtually scuttled by "The Lee" County Commission which, not to be upstaged, wanted to take their own look at sharing the expense of building a new jail for Columbia County as well as a new facility option at North Coast Business Park which, by thway went down in flames.

Thanks to Bergin, we now have a real shot at the start of a resolution to our "Revolving Door Jail System" and cottage industry, Clatsop County Corrections.

Anonymous said...

Patrick, the process of expanding the jail was started by John Raichl who actually campaigned for it. At the time, Bergin was a sergeant working drugs for the Oregon State Police and had nothing to do with the jail. John's ideas included moving the SO to the transition center area and expanding the jail into the present building. John got the commission to hire some consultants, formed some discussion groups and put together several options. Unfortunately, John could not convince the voters to pay for it.
Bergin's idea, put forth during his first campaign, was to move the SO into the court house and expand the jail building as Raichl suggested. That idea was dead on arrival since although the campaigned on it he had not talked to the commissioners and the court house was already full.
If you want to give Bergin credit for plans to expand the jail, please either properly attribute the idea to John Raichl or provide information on what plans Bergin developed on his own.

Patrick McGee said...

Anonymous said: "If you want to give Bergin credit for plans to expand the jail, please either properly attribute the idea to John Raichl or provide information on what plans Bergin developed on his own.
11:40 AM"
............Thursday, June 12, 2008
COMMISSION HIGHLIGHTS 6/11/08 WORK SESSION

The Clatsop County commissioners met with representatives of the local public safety community to hear more information from Gail Elias of Voorhis Associates about the recently completed Jail Service and Facilities Evaluation, and to discuss possible strategies for pursuing the development of a new county jail.

Elias revisited the various new-jail options listed in the study, which include using the existing facility and the nearby Dairygold property for an expanded jail and new offices for the Sheriff’s Office; building a new facility in the county’s North Coast Business Park; and partnering with Columbia County to fund construction of a new wing on the Columbia County Jail in St. Helens. Elias said all the options carry a price tag of around $25 million, but the Columbia County option has the drawbacks of less control by Clatsop County and higher transportation costs.

District Attorney Josh Marquis said he could not see voters approving a $25 million project, given the current economic situation, and asked about an earlier, less expensive proposal made by Sheriff Tom Bergin to install dormitory-style cells in the basement of the existing jail building. Elias said the county’s jail population has become more dangerous and less amenable to dorm-style housing in recent years, and that such a project would likely only serve as a stop-gap measure.

Regarding the run-up to the failed 2002 jail bond measure, Elias said there appeared to be a difference of opinion within the public safety community over the best option, but that the public was only presented with one option before the vote. Commissioner Sam Patrick noted that the board of commissioners itself was divided on the bond measure.

Elias said if the county decides to pursue a jail project again, it should begin by taking the idea out into the community before settling on any one option. Participants in the discussion agreed that the length of time needed to prepare a measure and avoid the state’s double-majority tax measure rule meant that the soonest such an initiative could go before voters would likely be in November 2010.

Commissioner John Raichl suggested that county officials begin considering a target date for a bond measure, look at the feasibility of the various proposed sites, and schedule an input period to gather comments from the public before settling on one proposal. Elias said she would assist Sheriff Tom Bergin in preparing a timeline for the project.

Commissioner Ann Samuelson said a new jail would be more palatable to voters if it included other features such as facilities for mental health treatment. Bergin said space could be made available for Oregon State Police and Clatsop Behavioral Health, who could pay rent that would offset the operational costs.

Bergin also said the county should pursue a restaurant tax to help fund the construction and/or operation of a new jail facility, to ease the burden on local taxpayers and put some of the cost of the project on visitors. He said restaurant owners realize the need for additional jail beds. Commissioner Raichl said many restaurant owners are feeling the economic pinch, and Marquis noted that the restaurant tax proposal met fierce opposition when it was aired in 2002.

Official minutes available once approved by the Board

Anonymous said...

Partick,
Check the minutes of the Public Safety Coordinating Committee for 2006/2007. I agree that Bergin said what he was reported to say above. I cannot agree that he was responsible for the idea. Maybe your rebuttal just goes to show there is really nothing new anymore, just a rehash of the past. In any case, Bergin certainly does not deserve the credit for the jail plan presented, however he is responsible for not doing anything about the supposed problem until faced with a challanged election.

Patrick McGee said...

The voters will select their choice on the ballot, nonetheless and in spite of us.