community news
may24
2011
County Sheriff’s Office to Participate in
Safety Belt Campaign
The Columbia County
Sheriff’s Office will be participating
in the Oregon Safety Belt Campaign
Blitz May 23 – June 5, 2011.
The “Three Flags” Campaign
is a statewide selective traffic
enforcement program (STEP) that
seeks to reduce the number of motor
vehicle-related deaths and injuries by
increasing public awareness of laws
regarding the three most prevalent
factors contributing to traffic crash
injuries: safety restraint use, speed
and impaired drivers. The Campaign
derived its name from a prior
demonstration effort between Oregon,
Washington and British Columbia
which lasted from 1993 – 2004. In
1999, the Oregon State Sheriff’s
Association, Oregon Association
of Chiefs of Police and Oregon
State Police Headquarters assumed
daily grant management and active
promotion of the campaign. Today,
while ODOT’s Transportation Safety
Division continues to coordinate a
federally-funded overtime “STEP” in
cooperation with these entities, most
Oregon law enforcement agencies
enforce safety belt laws year-round
as a matter of routine.
Over one hundred city, county
and state police agencies utilize
safety belt overtime during three
two-week “blitz” periods each year.
Prior to each “blitz,” training and
instructional materials are provided
to participating agencies through
ODOT’s Transportation Safety
Division. Officers are encouraged to
acquire advanced specialized training
in correct use of child safety systems,
and to nurture community awareness
of traffic safety issues generally.
Agencies are asked to conduct
local belt-use surveys and public
awareness/media activities during
the weeks prior to and following
each blitz. Observed belt-use rates,
number of enforcement contacts, and
public information activities reported
by each agency are used to measure
Campaign success.
Statewide crash fatality and
injury rates have dropped 44% and
49% respectively since the passage of
the adult belt law in 1990. The law,
combined with active enforcement,
has resulted in 2010 Oregon belt-use
rates of 97% (front seat) and 96%
(all occupants), placing Oregon
among the top four belt-use states
Voters Reject Sheriff’s
Levy
Columbia County voters
rejected Measure 5-210, by a
resounding margin, voting 58
percent to 42 percent against
a property tax levy to fund the
Sheriff’s Office.
The “Stable Sheriff’s
Funding “ measure would have
provided six additional patrol
deputies, including one dedicated
to the Nehalem Valley, and three
detectives to investigate crimes.
Instead of providing
additional service to the
657 square mile county his
department must patrol, Sheriff
Jeff Dickerson will again have
to look to make cuts.
“...the cuts in services
are not in reaction to the loss of
the tax measure,” stated Sheriff
S t Pier
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ic
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om
Dickerson in a written statement
posted the Sheriff’s Office
website. “These were cuts that
were coming due to reductions
in the County General Fund. We
were holding off on the cuts in
hopes the measure would pass,
but now that it hasn’t, the cuts
must necessarily continue.”
The proposed levy would
have cost taxpayers 63 cents per
one thousand dollars of assessed
value and raised $2.7 million.
“The voice of the people
was clear in this election: No
new taxes,” said Dickerson. “I
respect the will of the people and
promise to work as diligently as
if the levy had passed in serving
Columbia County with the best
public safety services possible.”
in the U.S. This compares to a belt-
use average of 86% among all states.
During the 2010 grant
year, $929,072 in Federal safety
belt overtime expenditure brought
52,462 total enforcement contacts
and paid officers to assist at child seat
checks and other local educational
events. Total overtime contacts were
as follows: 12,735 safety belt, 730
child seat, 9283 speeding, 424 DUII,
7062 suspensions, 782 felonies,
and 21,446 all other violations. To
put these efforts and expenditures
into perspective, consider that
safety belts are 45-65% effective
in preventing fatalities and that the
average combined societal costs of
one traffic death were estimated to be
$1,090,000 (National Safety Council
2002).
For more information on this
Campaign, contact Carla Levinski,
ODOT Occupant Protection Program
Manager at (503) 986-4199 or www.
oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/safetybelts.
shtml.
7
2011 4-H
Summer Camp
The 4-H Camp committee is busy
working on making the 2011 camp another
great experience for those who attend. The
committee has selected June 19-22, 2011 for
the annual 4-H Summer Camp, held at Camp
Kiwanilong on the North Coast.
The committee hosted “Teen Retreat”
early in April and is very pleased with the
older youth who have shown interest in
serving as Camp Counselors and Camp Staff.
The selection of Camp Counselors will occur
in April. This early selection allows time for
training, which is required by the state.
Please mark your calendars and begin
now to prepare your 4th through 7th graders
for the 2011 4-H Summer Camp. Registration
forms will be distributed through the schools
as in years past. Registration forms are due by
June 1, 2011 with the $85.00 registration fee.
Oregon State University Extension
Service offers educational programs, activities,
and materials without discrimination based
on age, color, disability, gender identity or
expression, marital status, national origin,
race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or
veteran’s status. Oregon State University
Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity
Employer.
