4
opinion
may1
2014
An Opinion: Why We Should Keep The Jail Open
By Scott Laird
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
Contributors
Pamela Daniel
Stacey Lynn
Souvanny Miller
Michal Smith
Sonia Spackman
Grant Williams
Photography
Scott Bergstrom
Emily Rome
Want to advertise?
Have an article?
Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com
One year subscriptions
(24 issues) $35
Vernonia’s Voice is published
on the 1st and 3rd Thursday
of each month.
Vernonia’s Voice, LLC
PO Box 55
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-367-0098
www.VernoniasVoice.com
Vernonia
Veterinary Clinic
Small and Large Animals
Now Open
Mon, Wed & Saturday
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Call for Appointments
(503) 429-1612
Or 24 hr. Emergency Number (503) 397-6470
700 Weed Ave. Vernonia, OR
Voters guides for the upcom-
ing May 20 election have arrived and
ballots should be showing up any day
now. Voters in Columbia County have a
few candidates to decide between. But
they also have a big decision to make on
whether to continue to operate the Co-
lumbia County Jail.
The Columbia County Board
of Commissioners has said, in no un-
certain terms, that the jail will close on
June 30, 2014 if voters fail to pass Mea-
sure 5-238.
The Jail is managed by the
Sheriff’s Department and currently can
house 110 inmates; twenty-five of those
beds are reserved for local inmates. The
rest are rented to the federal government
which, according to the County Com-
missioners, helps subsidize the cost
to incarcerate the locals. The County
faces a budget shortfall, due to decreas-
ing O&C Forest Payments, which the
County has relied on in the past to fund
jail operations. This past year the O&C
funding was $600,000 (down from $2
million in 2008) and there is no O&C
funding scheduled for 2015.
The levy calls for a $0.5797 per
$1,000 of assessed value property tax
for three years, which roughly equates
to an increase of $58 on a property val-
ued at $100,000 per year.
Columbia County voters have
a history of rejecting tax levies to fund
the Sheriff’s Department. They failed
to pass a levy to fund jail operations last
year and have repeatedly spurned levies
brought forward by Sheriff Jeff Dick-
erson to fund patrol deputies and other
operations. The Sheriff’s Department
has continued to cut personnel; the clos-
ing of the jail would be another blow to
Dickerson’s administration.
So, how will you vote when
your ballot arrives in the mail this
month? Certainly asking voters to ap-
prove a measure to increase taxes is
rarely popular for obvious reasons. Like
all elections, these campaigns concern-
ing public safety contain rhetoric from
both sides, making it difficult for voters
to understand the issue.
I have supported levies to
fund public safety in our communities
in the past. Here in Vernonia we are
struggling with a decreasing popula-
tion and a shortage of funding for our
city and schools along with increasing
utility rates. One way to combat those
issues is to attract families, businesses,
industry and tourists and increase our
Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7
Lady’s Night Wed 5-12
tax base. A safe community is an attrac-
tive community. I think it’s important,
as Columbia County tries to grow, that
those people we might want to attract
know this is a safe place to live, work
and play.
As we all know Vernonia is
very isolated. We currently have a three
man police force, which doesn’t leave
us fully covered, especially when an of-
ficer is on vacation or on medical leave.
We currently receive little back up from
the limited Sheriff’s Deputies that are
on duty. Several weeks ago we saw a
minor crime wave as numerous burglar-
ies occurred throughout the area. Of
course it wasn’t minor if you were one
of the victims.
I have heard people say that
we should just continue to underfund
public safety and citizens should deal
with these issues on their own by arm-
ing themselves and protecting their own
property. Maybe I’m naïve, but to me
that just sounds like a recipe for a trag-
edy. I imagine it will only be a matter of
time before someone is mistakenly shot
and maybe killed.
But I’m getting a little too far
into supposition. Voting to fund or not
fund the jail can be a complex and emo-
tional issue.
If this levy fails and the jail
closes the Sheriff has said that he will
rent ten beds from Polk County and
hold ten local prisoners at a time. That
means fifteen of the current twenty-five
locals the county is holding would be
released.
On Sunday, April 27 I went on-
line and looked at the current Inmate
Population list at the Columbia County
Jail. There were eighty-eight inmates
incarcerated at that moment, twenty-
five appeared to be non-federal prison-
ers.
Here is a list of the crimes those
twenty-five were being held on, roughly
in order from most severe to least.
1)MURDER
2)ATTEMPT MURDER
3)RAPE II, SEX ABUSE II
4)RAPE III
5)SODOMY II
6)SEX ABUSE 1 X3
7)ASSAULT II
8)ASSAULT III
9)ASSAULT IV X 3
10)ASSAULT IV
11)DUII
12)DELIVERY OF HEROIN
13)POSSESSION HEROIN
14)DELIVERY OF MARIJUANA
W/1000 FT OF SCHOOL
15)VIOLATION OF RESTRAINING
ORDER
16)HARASSMENT
17)VIOLATION OF RELEASE
18)HINDERING PROSECUTION
19)UNAUTHORIZED USE OF MO-
TOR VEHICLE
20)PAROLE VIOLATION
21)PAROLE VIOLATION
22)PAROLE VIOLATION
23)PAROLE VIOLATION
24)PROBATION VIOLATION
25)POST PRISON SUPV SANCTION
Now image having to choose
which of those ten to hold; the first six
or seven are fairly easy, but then it gets
a little more difficult. On the County
site, you can actually click on each pris-
oner and see more details about what
each one of these prisoners is accused
of. Number 16, being held for Harass-
ment, was actually from Vernonia and
also had charges of Disorderly Conduct
and Criminal Trespass. Number 17 also
had charges of Contempt of Court, As-
sault and Private Indecency. One of the
inmates being held on a Parole Viola-
tion was charged with Reckless Driv-
ing, Criminal Mischief, Resisting Arrest
and Private Indecency. Number 12 was
not only charged with Delivery but also
with Manufacture of Heroin as well as
being a Felon in Possession of 2 Fire-
arms. Number 10 who was being held
on Assault, was also charged with Co-
ercion and Menacing. Number 19 not
only allegedly stole a car; he was also
found with methamphetamine, gave
false information to the police and is a
fugitive from another state.
OK, let’s say you have your list
of top ten inmates to hold. After June
30 the Sheriff’s Department will be cit-
ing and releasing criminals like the rest
on this list. Imagine how it would feel
to be one of the victims of these crimi-
nals, knowing they are going to be im-
mediately released?
Now let’s say a local police
department brings in someone else
charged with Assault I. Do you release
one of your top ten or this new law
breaker?
This is not conjecture or scare
tactics. This is the reality of what the
citizens of Columbia County will be ex-
posed to on June 30 if the jail closes.
Voting for the jail levy is not an
easy choice but it is your choice. You
can vote no on Measure 5-238 to close
the jail or vote yes to keep those prison-
ers in jail.
I know how I’ll be voting.
Cedar Side Inn
“STILL BIKER FRIENDLY”
Live Music
May 24
Third Member
• Specialty hamburgers
• Draft beer & mixed drinks
• Pool tables & satelite TV
• Special live music events
• Free Wi-fi
Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight •
733 Bridge St, Vernonia
June 7
Dixie Wrecked
Open Mic Night
Saturday, May 31st
Karaoke
Every 2nd & Last Friday
Taco Tuesday
from opening until 9pm
3 hardshell or 1 softshell $4.25
Ping Pong
Every 2nd & Last Sunday
Beer & Kegs to go
Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM
• 503-429-9999
iheck our Facebook page for daily specials and upcoming events
756 Bridge Street, Vernonia
503-429-5841
