The INDEPENDENT, February 17, 2011
Vernonia man arrested on multiple charges
Joseph P. Greenawald, 34,
Vernonia, was taken into cus-
tody at 5:47 a.m., on February
7, and arrested for menacing
and an outstanding probation
violation warrant out of Wash-
ington County for Assault
Fourth Degree.
Deputies responded to a
residence on Nehalem High-
way North, between Apiary Rd.
and Hwy 202, after Columbia
911 Dispatch received a plea
for help from the female resi-
dent, saying the suspect had
fired a shotgun in the house
and was threatening to shoot
her dogs. When the Sheriff’s
Office responded to the scene,
the victim was removed from
the scene, but the suspect re-
fused to surrender. A nearly
three-hour standoff ended with
the use of a stun grenade and
the deployment of a taser.
Highway 47, between Apiary
Rd. and Highway 202, was
closed from 2:30 a.m. to just
before 6:00 a.m.
After taking Greenawald into
custody, deputies began to put
together a string of domestic vi-
olence charges against the
suspect for incidents going
back two weeks.
Greenawald
has
been
lodged in the Columbia County
Jail on an outstanding Wash-
ington County Probation viola-
tion and 10 counts of various
charges, including Menacing,
Animal Abuse, Coercion, Kid-
napping, Strangulation and As-
sault.
24 Years Ago This Month
The February 26, 1987, is-
sue of The Independent includ-
ed the following news story on
the front page under the head-
ing, “Police car purchases legal
but method needs change”:
After months of rumor and
unofficial grumblings, questions
regarding the use, purchase
and sale of some Vernonia Po-
lice Department vehicles were
officially raised at city council
meeting on December 1, 1986
and February 2, 1987.
In December Vernonia Po-
lice Chief Phil Jacobus ex-
plained that he had purchased
a car from Oregon State Police,
with $600 of his own money, for
use as a patrol car. He trans-
ferred the car’s title to the city,
he said; then when the city was
able to get a better car, title was
transferred back to Jacobus
who sold it to Act II Automotive
to get his money back.
At the February meeting
questions arose about Officer
Steve Poetter using his patrol
car for personal transportation
and, again, about the city sell-
ing a car without asking for
bids.
Because of these, and other
questions, The INDEPEN-
DENT has tried to clarify the sit-
uation regarding the purchase,
ownership, use and disposition
of several police cars owned by
the City of Vernonia.
Vernonia had five patrol cars
and now has four, one of which
is wrecked. Following is an ex-
planation of when, how, and by
whom they were purchased,
and how they are now being
used. All were bought from
OSP.
1983 Chevrolet Impala (Lic.
E155896) purchases April 24,
1986 for $600 plus $35 for a
prisoner cage, with City of Ver-
nonia check No. 3053. Now be-
ing used by police Sgt. Jim
Walters.
1983 Chevrolet Impala (Lic.
E153788) bought July 16,
1986, for $600 plus $75 for
prisoner cage and 2 light bars,
with city check No. 3291. Title
was transferred to Chief Ja-
cobus who sold it to Act II Auto-
motive for $600.
Two 1983 Chevrolet Malibus
(Lic. E155359 and E155350)
bought December 20, 1985,
with certified checks from
Farmers & Merchants Bank,
Vernonia branch. Jacobus pur-
chased cashier’s check No.
13855 in the amount of $600
which he used to pay for one
car. Poetter used cashier’s
check No. 13856 in the amount
of $500, then bought another
cashier’s check for $100 (No.
missing) to pay for the other
car. These cars were bought at
OSP Portland District Head-
quarters, not at Salem. Ja-
cobus is using one car, Poet-
ter’s is wrecked.
Jacobus put title for the car
he bought in his own name,
subsequently transferring it to
the City of Vernonia. Title to the
car bought by Poetter was put
in the city’s name immediately.
1984 Chevrolet Impala (Lic.
E158497) bought by Jacobus
on Sept. 3, 1986, for $600 plus
$20 prisoner cage, using Farm-
ers & Merchants Bank certified
check No. 15522, purchased
by Jacobus. This car is now be-
ing used by Officer Marty Ray.
Money for this car came from
the sale of a 1982 Dodge Diplo-
mat patrol car owned by the
city. Jacobus sold the Dodge to
Kelvin Wright of Auto Ex-
change, Portland, for $600.
Asked why they used their
own money to purchase cars
for the city, Jacobus and Poet-
ter said they felt is was impor-
tant for each police officer to
have a patrol car because of
24-hour call duty. Jacobus Ja-
cobus said he planned to be re-
imbursed when the city had the
money and assumed Poetter
would be also, but Poetter said
he never planned to be reim-
bursed.
“I know the city doesn’t have
much money,” Poetter said, “It
was a straight gift, and I never
expected reimbursement.
The responses of Jacobus
and Poetter also differed on the
question of personal use.
Poetter was accused of us-
ing the patrol car to take his
children to church, but he de-
nies any such usage. When he
is on call, he said, and gets
called out while his wife is at
work, he uses the patrol car to
take his sons to their grand-
mother. He insists that is the
only way he has used the car
personally.
Jacobus, on the other hand,
freely admits to letting his
teenage stepson use the patrol
car to drive to and from school.
“It was registered in my name,”
he said, “and I didn’t see any-
thing wrong with it.” The city
was paying the insurance pre-
miums for the car while it was in
Jacobus’ name.
The INDEPENDENT has
asked who authorized the offi-
cers to buy and sell property of
the city. Poetter says he was
authorized to do so by Ja-
cobus. Jacobus says he was
authorized by former council-
man and police commissioner
Bill Hansen, and by former
councilman Joe Batty. The IN-
DEPENDENT has not been
able to reach Hansen for com-
Page 9
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Good morning. February 1, 2011, 7:30
a.m. and it is 30° in the Concrete Jungle.
February 3, it’s twilight and 50°.
Chapter ?? “Saga in the Concrete Jun-
gle” – After having spent some time and
mucho bucks, Doctor #3, after reviewing
many paper charts and watching my heart
beat on a screen, informs me my heart is
whole, healthy and running like a well-oiled
machine. Says he, “You don’t need me,
goodbye, have a nice day.” Final results: The x-ray found pneu-
monia, the sneaky, sleeper, walking type. Antibiotics killed it, so,
getting my strength back is my aim, then I can vacuum the carpet,
do the dishes, laundry, make my bed, walk Shadow, go shopping
and stay up late – all in the same day. Back to normal.
Poor ol’ groundhog froze his nose, but he did see his shadow.
Valentine’s Day just flashed by. Do you have your order in for
corned beef, cabbage and boiled potatoes yet? Don’t blink,
Summer is around the corner. When you leave home in the
morning do you carry one or two sets of clothes with you for the
day? Winter, Spring and Summer. I just love trying to outsmart
the weather.
ment, but Batty said he remem-
bered it as a council action that
occurred around the time Ja-
cobus was hired in 1985.
“Before Phil took over,” Batty
said, “our vehicle cost and
maintenance were pathetic.
Nobody made any money on it,
and it’s been good for the city.”
City Recorder Don Dunaway
said he “assumed” the council
gave authorization. He also
said “it is not unusual” that the
purchases and sales didn’t go
through the city’s books.
Sgt. Rodger Jincks, Fleet
Manager for OSP, told The IN-
DEPENDENT that he doesn’t
sell cars to police officers for
their own use, but when he
sells to a police chief he as-
sumes that person is author-
ized to make the purchase.
Jincks also said that it’s unusu-
al for a police officer to buy a
car for his employer, and that
he knows of only one other
case.
Jacobus has maintained that
it’s common practice for officers
to “buy” their own patrol cars,
then be reimbursed at a later
time.
The fact that the City of Ver-
nonia profited from this game of
“musical titles” was a matter of
good faith, not good sense.
Buying and selling for the city
should be guided by firm policy
and should be handled through
the city’s books, not through
cashier’s checks bought by em-
ployees. It’s obvious that if the
city’s employees went out and
bought everything they feel the
city needs, then expected reim-
bursement, the city couldn’t af-
ford it.
It is also obvious that a po-
lice car should not be used for
personal transportation, and
the city council should take a
hard look at Chief Jacobus’ atti-
tude. Many citizens are upset
that a police car was wrecked
during
a
high
speed
chase…just think how upset
they would be at having a po-
lice car wrecked while being
driven by a student for school
transportation.
It’s time for the City of Ver-
nonia to opt for good sense, not
good faith or good luck.
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