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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2021)
PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 26, 2021 of the Week presented by MEREDITH MOONEY Where and how do you volunteer? Currently, most of my volunteer eff orts go toward a Community Partnership Team called Keizer United, where I hold the offi ce of president. We hold monthly meetings that foster a rich environment of collaboration between community partners that serve various needs within the community. I serve on the task force for Keizer’s Library: The Next Chapter. My role here is small, mostly a listening ear, encourager and fellow dreamer. But it is fun to watch this dream unfold and I look forward to serving more actively as opportunities arise. I also volunteer in the North Salem area, where I work. I serve on the McKay Commons Steering Committee, volunteer at Hallman Elementary, am a part of a Community Partnership Team called CaPES, volunteer at New Harvest Church helping create programs such as the After School Program, and Northgate Park Program. Why do you volunteer? I volunteer because I want to love my neighbors as myself. I want people to know they are seen, heard and loved and that life is meant to be lived in community with others. That can’t happen unless we meet people where they are at. I fi nd most often God calls me to serve in areas that are quite outside of my comfort zone, but He always supplies what I need to show up and love others. Decriminalization movement's goals are lofty, the effects are already being felt locally By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes There are changes afoot at the Keizer Police Department as a result of Oregon residents passing Ballot Measure 110 (BM110), which reduces the penalties for user amounts of con- trolled substances. Depending on the source, the new approach to heroin, cocaine, metham- phetamine, ecstasy, LSD, psilocybin and other opiates is either a matter of equity or a hair’s breadth from full legal- ization of all addictive substances. The reality is likely somewhere in between, but the measure triggered changes that are already in place at KPD. “As opposed to pre-BM110 enforce- ment, custodial arrests are not an option. Offi cers enforce this new law by issuing violators non-custodial citations to appear in court, similar to the procedure involved with issuing a traffi c citation,” said Lt. Bob Trump, KPD spokesperson. Offi cers can no longer arrest some- one for possession of the substances within the amounts defi ned by BM110. In a broader context, Keizer Police Department were not exactly over- whelmed with drug arrests before the new approach went into eff ect. KPD offi cers made 126 arrests for narcotic possession in 2019 and 117 in 2020. Aside from reducing arrests, BM110 is expected to impact the everyday interactions between police and citi- zens. A large number of conversations begin by an offi cer making contact with a person and the individual consent- ing to a conversation. To make a stop based on suspicious activity, an offi cer needs probable cause that a crime was committed or about to be committed. Suspicion that a person is in possession of user amounts of many narcotics will no longer fall under the list of viable reasons for probable cause. The citation triggers one of two options for the recipient. They can pay a $100 fi ne or report for an addiction screening and get connected with ser- vices that could help them get sober. The bill also redirects funding from schools, police and marijuana sales to stand up community addiction recov- ery centers throughout Oregon. At the time of the citation, KPD offi - cers will confi scate any drugs and those will now be disposed of by property cus- todians at the department. “Once these substances are received by property and evidence personnel, Sam Goesch CLU, Agent Sam Goesch Ins Agcy Inc 3975 River Road North Keizer, OR 97303 Bus: 503-393-6252 Web: SamGoesch.com State Farm , Bloomington, IL 1211999
