JUNE 1, 2019
smok signflz
9
From bagging groceries to bagging criminals
credit card fraud case in
Newberg where the sus-
pect ended up going to
prison for several years.
In an interesting twist,
he was arrested after
By Danielle Frost
trying to use a fake card
Smoke Signals staff writer
at the Thriftway store
Clint Cardwell went from scan-
Cardwell worked at for
ning groceries to taking calls on a
so many years.
police scanner.
Cardwell said his fa-
Cardwell is Grand Ronde’s new-
vorite aspect of being an
est police officer, replacing Ron
officer is helping people
Wellborn, who joined the Tribal
in need, but also the in-
Security Department in April.
vestigative piece of law
The 29-year-old had worked at
enforcement work.
Knapps Thriftway in Newberg for
“I like putting the piec-
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
several years, first as a cashier and
es of the puzzle together
Officer Clint Cardwell joined the Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department after serving with to obtain the end result,”
then in loss prevention, helping
apprehend shoplifters. He became
he said.
the Newberg Police Department.
interested in police work after sev-
And the most tedious
“It was difficult living there and
eral interactions with local officers.
and was hired by the Newberg Po-
aspect of Cardwell’s job?
being an officer,” Cardwell said.
“I’d always had a lot of respect for
lice Department in October 2017.
“Right now, it’s solidifying myself
“The familiarity made it a chal-
law enforcement and the work they
Next came the six-month Depart-
as an officer,” he said. “You spend
lenge.”
do,” Cardwell said. “When I went
ment of Public Safety Standards
time with another officer and having
After talking with family friend
into loss prevention I really got
and Training in Salem.
someone looking over your shoulder
Steve
Warden,
who
also
is
the
Tribe’s
to know the officers and decided I
However, the newly minted police
can be nerve-wracking, but it’s im-
Emergency Operations coordinator,
wanted to be involved on a grander
officer soon discovered working in
portant. Even the smallest mistakes
Cardwell applied for an open officer
scale.”
the town he’d grown up in had its
on reports or citations could mean
position in Grand Ronde.
Cardwell put in an application
challenges.
they are thrown out of court.”
“Law enforcement across the
Although he’s only been in Grand
board is fairly similar so the tran-
Ronde for a month, Cardwell has
sition hasn’t been difficult so far,”
noticed a level of respect the com-
Cardwell said. “I’m figuring the ins
munity has for its police officers.
and outs of things. One difference
“It’s a really nice community,”
is that we assist a lot with Polk and
he said.
Yamhill County calls. Back in New-
During his leisure time, Cardwell
berg, if the county needed help we
enjoys golfing at various courses in
would go, but we generally didn’t
the area and spending time with
leave our area. Here we will go out
his girlfriend, Syara Thorsen. The
to Willamina or Dallas to assist.”
couple lives in Newberg.
Police officers typically have
Tribal Police Chief Jake McK-
their share of unusual traffic stop
night said Cardwell fits in well at
experiences, but Cardwell said
the station, and even beat him on
nothing too strange has happened
the golf course.
to him yet.
“So far he is doing great,” he said.
“So far I really like it,” he said.
“I think he’ll be a great part of the
“In Grand Ronde, we have a great
community. He really likes to help
group of guys and I’m getting to
people. The cultural part is new
know them. Sometimes, you are
to him, but he is learning. … I’m
the only officer on duty so that is
not sure I’ll ever get him in golf
something I’m getting used to. Ev-
though.”
eryone here is pretty level headed
Cardwell said his long-term goal
and things seem to be going in the
is to excel at his new job.
right direction.”
“Grand Ronde has given me a
The biggest case he has worked
great opportunity to be here,” he
on during his relatively short ten-
said. “I will do the best I can to
Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez
ure
in
law
enforcement
was
a
earn that.”
From left, Brayden Fox, Kai Barton and Hudson
Hubbell, students in the Tribal K-12 Afterschool
Program, work on planting one of the new garden
boxes outside of the Education Building on
Wednesday, May 22. The Education Department
has been working with leaders at Marion-Polk Food Share, the local
iskam mfkHfk haws food pantry and Natural Resources Department
staff to develop garden beds and revitalize the greenhouse next to the
Youth Education building.
Tribe’s newest police
officer was a longtime
grocery store employee
Box blessing
A child in the Tribal K-12 Afterschool Program finishes planting in one
of the new garden boxes outside of the Youth Education building on
Wednesday, May 22.
Ad created by George Valdez