The INDEPENDENT, November 19, 2009
From the Sheriff’s Desk…
From page 19
are linked to the role of the County Sheriff as it is laid out in the
state constitution and the entire body of state law.
The Sheriff is not an appointed department head, but is, rather,
one of three county executive officers elected by the people of the
county as authorized under Article VI of the Oregon Constitution.
State law vests the office of sheriff with particular powers and
responsibilities, all of which are designed to “conserve the peace”
of the county. More than just having the law enforcement compo-
nent of appointed municipal police chiefs, the sheriff is charged
with several responsibilities (including law enforcement) that con-
tribute to the goal of peace conservation in our county.
Those responsibilities, as they are spelled out in state law, in-
clude:
(1) Arresting and committing to prison all persons who break
the peace, or attempt to break it, and all persons guilty of public
offenses,
(2) Defending the county against those who, by riot or other-
wise, endanger the public peace or safety,
(3) Executing the process and orders of the courts of justice or
of judicial officers,
(4) Executing all warrants delivered to the sheriff,
(5) Attending, upon call, the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals,
Oregon Tax Court, circuit court, justice court or county court held
within the county, and to obey its lawful orders or directions,
(6) Maintaining humane custody of all persons committed to
detention in the county jail, and
(7) Overseeing all search and rescue operations in the county.
Because the most visible aspect of the sheriff’s responsibility is
the enforcement arm of peace conservation, the sheriff’s office is
often likened to a police department in its role within the unincor-
porated areas of the county (police department officers for the city,
Page 21
Letters
and sheriff’s “department” officers for outside the city).
When most people refer to the Sheriff’s Office as a “Sheriff’s
Department,” they aren’t even considering the difference between
the two concepts, and figure people like me pointing out the differ-
ence is like dancing on the head of a pin. And, in the end, it mat-
ters not what you call us, as long as we provide the service citi-
zens have the right to expect from us.
But it is important that the sheriff’s office is more than just a “po-
lice department,” because the mission of peace conservation in
the county is more than just criminal law enforcement.
Sheriffs, down through the years in our nation, have been and
continue to be where the citizens have the final say in the kind of
public safety and security they want for their county. Having an
elected officer as the chief executive of the peace means that the
rights of citizens to be defended and their property protected in
their county are secured by a vote of the people.
In a country where the right to vote is the centerpiece of our lib-
erties, it only makes sense that those liberties are defended coun-
ty-wide by an elected officer instead of an appointed department
head.
People who live in the cities have the benefit within their narrow
jurisdictions of having the added layer of extra law-enforcement
protection based upon the goals for their municipalities set by their
elected officials, who in turn appoint police chiefs to carry out
those goals. But for county-wide concerns that blend law enforce-
ment with detention, search and rescue, civil process serving and
the provision of the force of government at the county level, it is
good that we have the opportunity to vote directly for the person
we believe will uphold the office of sheriff as provided by the Ore-
gon Constitution and state law.
I, for one, am extremely humbled and grateful to the citizens of
Columbia County for entrusting me with that office.
Christmas Shopping with the Pampered Chef
Toy & Joy changes
will still equal fun
To the Editor:
In order to comply with Toy
& Joy program requirements,
we’ve had to make some
changes in how we administer
the program. Please have pa-
tience while we work to provide
the best program we can for
this community.
We understand times are
tough and donations are down
with most programs. We want
to be able to help as many fam-
ilies as we can. Our goal is to
put smiles on kids faces.
Kathy Wolfe
Vernonia Rural Fire
Toy & Joy Coordinator
HOLIDAY BUCKS PARTICIPANT!
Open House Saturday December 12th at 5pm.
Contact for more information on Open House
Bakeware, Bamboo, Entertaining, Cookware, Stoneware, Cutlery, Spices/Pantry, Kitchen Tools, and Outdoor.
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