WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7
COMMENTARY/RECORDS
Police, public deserve credit for making city safe
H
ermiston is a safe
small city.
Most
objective
observers would likely come
to the same conclusion by
looking at the Hermiston
Police Department’s crime
report for 2015. And it was
certainly safer in 2015 than
it has been over the last de-
cade.
For instance, there were
only 21 violent crimes re-
ported in 2015, the lowest
number in any year since
2006, except for 2013. That
year, only 16 violent crimes
were reported. The normal
range of violent crime inci-
dents over the decade was 26
to 59, with an average of 42
violent crimes a year.
But of course, not all
crimes or violent incidents
get reported. Victims of do-
mestic abuse or rape don’t
always call police.
The most common crime
in the largest city in Eastern
Oregon last year was lar-
ceny; i.e., theft of proper-
ty. There were 413 larceny
crimes reported last year.
That’s a rate of one larceny
crime for every 2.4 percent
of the population.
If all crimes in the city re-
ported to Hermiston Police
(524) were spread out even-
ly, it would mean 3 percent
of the population was a vic-
tim of crime.
But safety is about more
than numbers. If you agree
that Hermiston is a safe city
it is because you feel safe
here. If you were recently a
victim of crime, you proba-
bly don’t see Hermiston as
safe.
When I moved back to tors to my complex and the
Oregon in 2005, I moved surrounding neighborhood.
In March of 2010 there
into a neighborhood in
northeast Salem that didn’t was a gun battle between a
have the greatest reputation. burglary suspect and police
of¿cers that left one
But I didn’t ¿nd that
of¿cer wounded and
out until I had signed
the suspect dead that
my lease. There were
started about a block
things I liked a lot
from my apartment
about the neighbor-
complex and ended
hood. I could walk to
near the entrance to
several
restaurants,
my complex.
a grocery store, drug
1ot the de¿nition
store and several Gary
L. West
of a safe neighbor-
mini-markets and oth- SHADES
hood.
er businesses within OF GRAY
The
Hermiston
a few blocks of the
apartment complex. And I area’s low rate of crime is
walked to those places quite an attractive quality. That
a bit. But there were times doesn’t mean we should
I didn’t always feel safe on make it easy for opportunis-
those walks, particularly at tic thieves to take advantage.
One of Hermiston Po-
night. I was never a victim of
crime in my neighborhood, lice Chief Jason Edmiston’s
but police were regular visi- goals going forward is to
take steps to educate the pub-
lic on ways to avoid becom-
ing a victim of crime.
That’s an important goal
and a reminder that our com-
munity’s safety is not just
the responsibility of law en-
forcement. We, as citizens
play a huge role in our own
safety and security.
Lock your doors and win-
dows. Don’t leave your car
running and unlocked when
you are warming it up in the
morning or just running into
the store to pick something
up quickly. Don’t believe
everything you read in email
messages and online posts
promising you money for a
favor. And don’t believe ev-
ery phone call you get (par-
ticular from out of the area
numbers) saying you owe the
IRS or someone else money.
Be careful. Be skeptical.
Be smart. Act safe and be
safe.
Thank your neighbors for
contributing to your safety.
When you see local law
enforcement of¿cers at work
in our community, thank
them for helping to keep us
as safe as we can ever expect
to be in an unpredictable
world.
But don’t forget to smile,
because you will also be on
a very candid police body
camera.
Gary L. West is editor of
the Hermiston Herald and
Hermiston editor for the
East Oregonian. Reach him
at gwest@hermistonher-
ald.com or follow him on
Twitter @GaryLWest or on
Facebook at www.facebook.
com/journalist.glwest.
GUEST COMMENT
New fire district
just makes sense
S
everal years ago the Hermiston
Fire and Emergency Services
District and the Stan¿eld Rural
Fire Protection District began
working and training together to
provide more effective emergency
and non-emergency service to our
citizens, increased safety to our
responders and a reasonable cost of
service. As the cost of personnel,
training, apparatus, equipment
and supplies escalated faster than
revenues, the two departments were
¿nding it dif¿cult to stay abreast of
rapidly increasing call volume.
The districts commissioned an
independent study, released in June
2012, to determine the best course
of action to keep the services viable
in the future. The study concluded
that by 2017 both districts would
be substantially in the red if reve-
COURT:
continued from Page A5
ed and $370.15 restitution, plus court
costs and fees.
•Pedro Antonio Covarrubias Espain,
21, Hermiston, pleaded guilty to Driving
While Suspended; sentenced to 3 days
jail, 180 days jail-suspended, 3 years pro-
bation, and $1,940 fine, plus court costs
and fees.
•Phillip Andrew Williams, 51, Stan-
field, pleaded guilty to Driving While
Suspended; sentenced to 20 days jail and
$1,940 fine, plus court costs and fees.
•Jose Luis Arevalo, 53, Umatilla,
pleaded guilty to Driving While Suspend-
ed; sentenced to 180 days jail-suspended,
2 years probation, 80 hours community
service and $1,940 fine, plus court costs
and fees.
•Fernando Martinez Ceniceros, 29,
nues and expenses continued at the and form one new district at a new
then-current pace stating, “Chang- tax rate that would provide solubility
es in spending practices will be for the foreseeable future. Whether
necessary, potentially including the new district will be formed is
making dif¿cult service-delivery what the voters must decide in May.
As our communities grow, the
decisions.” The study also pointed
demand for ¿re and emer-
out that additional ¿nancial
gency medical services is
resources could make those
going to continue to increase.
dif¿cult decisions unneces-
Even now, there are occa-
sary. While HFES had high-
sional delays in response be-
er costs with career as well
cause of multiple calls during
as volunteer personnel, SFD
the same time period. So far,
was ¿nding it more and more
there have been no detrimen-
dif¿cult to maintain an ade-
tal outcomes because of the
quate number of trained and Scott
Stanton
delays; but, as we empty the
available volunteers. The
Hermiston
station more often for ¿re
full study is available from Fire and
and ambulance calls, it is
the HFES website at www. Emergency
inevitable that a delay in re-
hermiston¿re.com.
Services
sponse will cause loss of life
The study identi¿ed 21
or property.
interim strategies that would
Combining the districts at a
yield economic or operational ef¿-
ciencies and the districts continue new rate of $1.75 per $1,000 of
to implement those strategies. Ul- assessed value will allow us to add
timately, however, the study recom- staf¿ng and have people on duty at
mended the two districts dissolve the Cable station (Diagonal Road)
Irrigon, pleaded no contest to Failure to
Appear II; sentenced to 14 days jail and
$40 fine, plus court assessment.
•Glenn Eric Knudsen, 54, Hermiston,
pleaded guilty to Theft II; sentenced to
180 days jail-suspended, 2 years proba-
tion, 40 hours community service, $190
fine and $1,500 fine-suspended, plus
court costs and fees.
•Pedro Antonio Munoz Sanguino,
36, Hermiston, pleaded guilty to Driving
While Suspended and Felon in Posses-
sion of Restricted Weapon; sentenced to
180 days jail-suspended, 2 years proba-
tion, 80 hours community service, $940
fine and $750 fine-suspended for each
count, plus court costs and fees.
•Alexander Christian Ringe, 26,
Hermiston, pleaded guilty to Theft II; sen-
tenced to 40 days jail, 180 days jail-sus-
pended, 3 years probation, 40 hours
community service, $140 fine and $800
fine-suspended, plus court costs and
fees; pleaded guilty to Failure to Appear
II; sentenced to 180 days jail-suspended,
3 years probation, 40 hours community
service and $40 fine, plus court costs and
fees.
•Marisela Lopez Chavez, 21, Hermis-
ton, pleaded guilty to Criminal Mischief
II; sentenced to 60 days jail-suspended,
2 years probation, 60 hours community
service, $440 fine, $500 fine-suspended
and $225 restitution, plus court costs
all the time. Those additional po-
sitions will allow quicker response
to emergencies in the east and
south ends of the district and pro-
vide critical backup for the city and
west side of the district. No one
will pay more than an additional
55 cents per $1,000 for the added
protection, and the east end of the
district will see quicker responses.
On a $200,000 home, the added tax
would be $110.00 per year or less
than $9.17 per month. This is the
¿rst time voters have been asked
for additional funds in the ¿re dis-
tricts 65 year history.
Besides additional personnel,
the new rate will allow adequate
funding of our equipment reserve
account so that when it is time to
purchase replacement ambulances,
cardiac monitors and ¿re apparatus
the money will be available and
we will not have to borrow funds
or place a bond measure before
the voters. A ¿re engine can cost
and fees; pleaded guilty to Disorderly
Conduct II; sentenced to 60 days jail-sus-
pended, 2 years probation, $40 fine and
$400 fine-suspended, plus court assess-
ment.
Divorces
Divorce decrees were signed in Uma-
tilla County Courts for:
Sonja Pullen and Robert Pullen; Ricar-
do Martinez Dominguez and Maria Guada-
lupe Martinez Lozano; Rebecca Ann Rash
and Clarence Richard Rash; Kevin Wayne
Benham and Cristy Capitan Benham; Rob-
ert M. Harris and Melinda J. Harris; Holly
May Britt and Jaylee Patrick Britt.
MARRIAGES
Marriage licenses have been regis-
tered in Umatilla County for:
Ethan Lee Parks, 25, and Taylor Anne
Godier, 24, both of Hermiston.
Mario Alberto Ramirez Navarrete, 25,
and Adriana Rosales Sanchez, 21, both of
Hermiston.
SELF DEFENSE
Fully Digital
Enya 3 Series Hearing Aid
Now $
Only
upwards of $500,000 and a new
ambulance $170,000 or more. Our
most pressing need is replacing our
cardiac monitors with a price tag of
over $220,000. A reserve account
allows us to save money to make
these purchases in the future, and
with current revenues that account
is underfunded.
Combining the two districts just
makes sense when you have the
facts. The new district will have
increased funding to maintain sol-
vency into the future and additional
personnel to reduce delays in ser-
vice and provide quicker service to
our rural residents in the east end
of the district. Get the facts. Go
to the HFES website at www.herm-
iston¿re.com or talk to a ¿re¿ghter
or board member. You can also call
the main station at 541-567-8822
and speak with someone.
Scott Stanton is the chief for
Hermiston Fire and Emergency
Services.
995
• Enhances Speech
• Reduces Noise
Call 541-276-3155
Ruud’s Hearing Aid Service
Sale price valid on the Resound Enya 3 series. Limit two at the
promotional price. No other offers or discounts apply. Discount
does not apply to prior sales. Offer expires January 29, 2016.
Learn a full range of self-defense
techniques, including: Awareness, home
security, verbal de-escalation, evading
and escaping maneuvers. This is a
contact class. Age 12 and up. Class
size is limited to 20 students. Must
pre-register. Call 541-667-3509.
January 28 • 6:00 - 8:00pm
GSMC Conference Center 2
HEALTHY FRIDAYS
Free health screenings: Blood pressure checks,
weigh-ins, body mass index, cholesterol and
glucose.
First Friday of each month
9:30 - 11:30am
Third Friday of each month
2:00-4:00pm
GSMC Conference Center 7
(by Education Dept)
TAI CHI - MOVING FOR
BETTER BALANCE
FREE class to work on balance, strengthen
muscles, improve posture and core strength and
reduce stress. Great for all ages!
Mondays • 10:30-11:15am
GSMC Wellness Center (behind the hospital)
THERA-BANDS BASIC
MOVES
Help tone and strengthen muscles,
improve posture, and reduce stress.
We use resistance bands for a
flexibility workout that increases overall
health. Class is free. Thera-bands are
$5 each.
Tuesdays & Thursdays • 9:00 - 9:30am
GSMC Wellness Center (behind the hospital)
BANDS AND BEYOND
Learn strength training exercises and improve
balance using free-weights, stability balls, Thera-
bands and more. Wear comfortable shoes and
clothes. Class is free. Thera-bands are $5 each.
Tuesdays & Thursdays • 9:30 - 10:00am
GSMC Wellness Center (behind the hospital)
QUIT TOBACCO
Have you tried to quit tobacco, but found you
needed support? Contact our tobacco
cessation specialist to schedule your free
consultation. Group sessions can also be
scheduled by employers. Call 541-667-
3509 for more info or to schedule an
appointment.
For information or to register for a class,
call (541) 667-3509 or email healthinfo@gshealth.org