A2 • Friday, April 1, 2022 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com PUBLIC SAFETY LOG SEASIDE POLICE DEPT. PUBLIC SAFETY LOG March 18 12:00 a.m., 800 block N. Holla- day: While responding to a re- ported disturbance, subject tells police they want their spouse to leave because he’s been verbally abusive. 11:15 a.m., North of 18th/West of water treatment: Transient camper is apprised of ordinances and agrees to leave. collision is reported. 4:27 p.m., Lost Lake: Caller reports subjects shooting pistols in the Lost Lake parking lot. The subjects are described leaving the area in two black Jeep Wranglers. 5:48 p.m., 1100 block N. Roos- evelt: A dog bite is reported. March 21 12:47 a.m., U.S. Highway 101 and Reservoir Road: Police assist Cannon Beach police with a driv- ing while intoxicated traffi c stop. 3:35 p.m., A person is arrested on a warrant. 6:29 a.m., Library: A small white dog is reported unaccompanied in the area. The dog is gone prior to police arrival. 10:09 p.m., 1800 block Spruce: A juvenile is reported missing. 11:48 a.m., Police headquarters: Sex off ender registration. March 19 1:35 a.m., 1400 block N. Wahanna: Police respond to an anonymous call asking them to go to an address for a reported disturbance. On arrival, they see a man and a woman and a wom- an outside arguing. Another agency is assisted. 7:37 a.m., 2300 block S. Roo- sevelt: Caller says unhoused people are dumping garbage on their property. 10:14 a.m., 1100 block Avenue D: Caller reports suspicious man in the area; police make contact and see he is delivering packages in the neighborhood. 2:38 p.m., 300 block Beach Drive: Caller reports an issue with an employee who has not returned a laptop owned by the business. They are advised this is a civil matter and given options. 5:31 p.m., Broadway: A business owner reports property crimes. 5:39 p.m., Broadway: A verbal disturbance on the brink of turning physical is averted. The involved parties are warned of disorderly conduct. 6:44 p.m., 1100 block Broadway: A person is arrested on a warrant. 8:13 p.m., 1800 block S. Roosevelt: A female subject is reported making threats. 10:15 p.m., 800 block Ne- canicum Drive: A dog bite is reported. March 20 2:43 a.m., 400 block Avenue A: A missing person is reported. 2:46 p.m., First Avenue and Prom: A person says their car was illegally entered. 3:41 p.m., 1800 block Thompson Falls Drive: EMS call. 3:45 p.m., 600 block S. Edge- wood: EMS call. Another agency is assisted. 4:12 p.m., Rileys, S. Holladay: A 4:32 p.m., 1200 block S. Wahan- na: A disturbance is reported. 8:47 p.m., 500 block S. Columbia: Caller requests police speak with her neighbor who she claims allows her dog to chase her and her dog. Lincoln: A person is cited for unlawful lodging. 8:00 a.m., 800 block Avenue C: A person sleeping under a tarp is trespassed. 8:51 a.m., 1600 block Broadway: Caller reports his daughter has been missing since Dec. 2021. 10:45 a.m., Stop & Go: Fuel theft is reported. 1:27 p.m., Trucke’s: Fuel theft is reported. 6:21 p.m., 2600 block U.S. High- way 101: EMS call. 6:40 p.m., 700 block Avenue R: EMS call. 8:27 p.m., Broadway near Finn’s: Caller reports a physical fi ght between two men and a woman. No weapons were seen by the caller. 11:54 p.m., 400 block S. Prom: Caller reports someone on a balcony throwing a football attempting to hit cars. OREGON STATE POLICE PUBLIC SAFETY LOG Crash on Highway 26 3:23 p.m., Ocean Way restrooms: Transient is reported making a lot of noise and causing a disturbance; on arrival he told police he was just listening to loud music. He was advised of the complaint. Troopers responded March 21 at 4:45 p.m. to a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 26 at milepost 30 when the driver of a Dodge truck was unable to stop when cars traveling in front of it were slowing. A BMW was rear-ended and the truck went into the westbound ditch and rolled onto the driver’s side. A 61-year-old Seaside passenger in the truck was taken to Sea- side Providence Hospital by pri- vate car. Hillsboro Towing took possession of both wrecked vehicles. The Elsie and Banks fi re departments were on scene. 5:38 p.m., 1400 block N. Wahan- na: EMS call. Unleashed dog attacks leashed dog 6:01 p.m., 200 block Avenue A: A person is reported urinating in public. An off -leash dog attacked a leashed dog on the beach in Gearhart by the Del Ray beach access March 22 at 6:03 p.m. All parties were contacted and interviewed and witness statements taken. The person responsible for the unleashed dog was determined to be at fault for the injury of the leashed dog. The leashed dog’s owner was also injured. The owner of the unleashed dog was cited and agreed to work with the owner of the injured dog to resolve the matter. March 22 1:32 p.m., 1900 block Spruce Drive: A deceased person is reported. 2:22 p.m., 1100 block Queen Street: Dog complaint. 8:32 p.m., 800 block S. Hemlock: Police assist Cannon Beach police with a reported argument between parties that turned physical. 11:00 p.m., 500 block S. Prom: Caller reports a family member is very late returning home and wishes to report them missing. March 23 7:54 a.m., Avenue E and S. Prosecutor to target poachers By MONICA SAMAYOA Oregon Public Broadcasting For the fi rst time ever, the Oregon Department of Justice has hired a special prosecutor solely dedicated to locating, investigating and prosecuting poachers. The new position comes as the state has recently seen a spike in the unsolved illegal killing of wildlife, including deer, elk and wolves. Jay Hall was hired in Feb- ruary to be the new assistant attorney general dedicated to enforcing anti-poaching laws and providing exper- tise and resources to local law enforcement for poach- ing investigations and pros- ecutions. He previously spent 12 years prosecuting major crimes for the Lane County district attorney’s offi ce and developed exper- tise in using state racketeer- ing laws against organized poaching rings. In 2010, he received an award from the Oregon State Police for prosecuting a poaching ring that killed more than 300 deer and elk. Hall will work with the Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and advise law enforcement agencies in collecting evidence, pro- cessing cases and assigning penalties and will also guide and assist county prose- cutors in fi sh and wildlife criminal cases. In 2019, the Oregon Legislature approved fund- ing for the Stop Poach- ing Campaign to increase anti-poaching eff orts across the state. The cam- paign includes working with communities to fi nd poachers, adding four Ore- gon State Police troopers and a sergeant to increase enforcement and hiring an anti-poaching prosecutor. “Now that all three com- ponents of the legislative strategy are in place, our Oregon State Police A bull elk was illegally killed and left to waste near Elgin. ability to tackle poaching across the state is greatly enhanced,” state Rep. Ken Helm, a Beaverton Demo- crat who co-chairs the Leg- islature’s Wildlife Caucus, said in a statement. Recently, the state has seen an increase in wildlife poaching, with two cases of wolves being illegally shot in the last two months. In January, investigators with Oregon State Police said a 2-year-old collared female wolf was found dead in Wallowa County. Last month, offi cials found a dead wolf near Cove in Union County. The shoot- ings have prompted conser- vationists and wildlife advo- cates to call on the state to hire a special prosecutor for wildlife crime. “Fulfi lling this role increases our chances of holding poachers account- able,” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Stop Poaching Campaign Coor- dinator Yvonne Shaw said. “Prosecuting crimes against fi sh, wildlife and their hab- itats preserves natural resources that belong to all Oregonians.” Shaw said only a fraction of poaching is detected and reported. According to Oregon State Police, 447 big game species like wolves, bears and antelope were killed in 2020. That’s a major increase from the 324 big game species that were killed in 2019. Conservationists say this new role is much needed and will provide counties with the resources to pros- ecute poachers. They say they hope to see a reduc- tion in the illegal killing of wildlife. “I think some of these high-profi le poaching cases, particularly of wolves, have kind of pushed this issue into the spotlight,” Quinn Read, a policy director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said. Read said having a pros- ecutor focused on enforcing anti-poaching laws is a game changer. She said many times cases fall through the cracks in counties because of limited resources. “Having someone here who can really focus and specialize and bring that expertise to enforcing our wildlife laws is really key,” she said. The Stop Poaching Cam- paign is a collaboration among hunters, conserva- tionists, landowners and recreationists to educate the public on how to rec- ognize and report poach- ing. The program’s goal is to increase reporting of poaching through their tip line, 1-800-452-7888, and to increase prosecution of these crimes. help bring stability to the lives of the lesser known victims of the opioid crisis, America’s children. First, it takes time. Right now, more than 40 volunteers spend 4,000 plus hours a year speaking out for the best interests of the more than 120 children they serve here in Clatsop County. To give every child one caring, constant adult in their lives, we need to more than double the number of CASA volunteers. We know we can do it. If I could say thank you to every foster fami- ly, child welfare professional, judge and CASA volunteer who dedicate their life to children and youth in the foster care system, I would. And, even then, it would insufficiently cover the depth and gratitude due them for their unwavering dedication, selflessness, and countless sacrifices day in and day out – to support children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Without you, these children might have no one to depend on. They’d be left with nothing more than a constant pa- rade of strangers cycling in and out of their lives, asking the same questions and ticking the same boxes before disappearing, only to be replaced by the next. Imagine experiencing this loneliness and chaos…on top of losing your parents. It’s a loss too terrible for anyone to bear, much less a child. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and today, I am reaching out about a REAL and PRESENT crisis affecting children here in Clatsop County and across the nation. If you read the pa- per or watch the news, you know the magnitude of the opioid epidemic in this country. With the additional devastation of COVID-19, our commu- nities are facing an uphill battle. This is especially true in small communities like ours. While law- makers, public officials, and the media focus on these public health crises, we focus on the silent victims—the children. Of course, parental substance abuse is not new, and we have always advocated for the best inter- ests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect because of a parent’s addiction. But over the last six years, the number of children in foster care across the country has risen 8 percent, a rise that public health officials, analyzing other data trends, increasingly attribute to the growing use of opioids. Sadly, we have expected this number to continue to climb. And this was before the COVID-19 Pandemic – these numbers are ex- pected to increase dramatically because of family isolation, anxiety/stress, lack of access to treat- ment and economic uncertainty. If this breaks your heart, you are not alone. It breaks mine, too. And what’s worse is that this wave will not peak any time soon. If we want to save our children, we have to act now. Which means our role—and yours—has never been more important. I am writing to ask for your assistance. As an important part of the CASA movement, you can Second, it takes money. The 4,000-plus hours our volunteers donate each year in our community is a bargain, but it is not free. What makes our volunteers so effective is the investment that we make in their ongoing training and supervision. The issues surrounding opioid addiction are complex. We need to create new trainings and new materials on those issues for all our volunteers. Given the return—to the children in foster care and to our society—we are committed to partnering with donors and investors who can help us make that investment. Please consider a tax-deduct- ible donation to our program. Donations can be made at www.clatsopcasa.org or mailed to: PO BOX 514, Astoria, OR 97103. Third, it takes HEART. It takes heart to see a child in need and stop to help. It takes heart to stay for as long as you are needed—for that child and every child—day after day, year after year, in good times and bad. Those who do this work, whether they are volunteers, staff members, or donors, have the heart to see, to stop, and to stay. Perhaps you do, too. And if you do, this is an in- vitation to join us, in whatever capacity you can. Not even one of us has the power to change these children’s past— what they have seen, what they have done, what they have suffered. Every one of us has the power to change their future. All it takes is the heart to do so. I can tell you that whatever dollars you invest will yield an outsized return in that most valuable currency of all, time. I can promise you that wherever that time is spent—in court, on the phone, at a hospital, in a high school gymnasium or backyard sandbox— you will be giving children all the time they need to learn that it’s safe to hope, to trust, to believe, and to move forward. On behalf of all of us — thank you. Sincerely, Nakesha Womble Executive Director, Clatsop CASA Program, Inc.