In the March, 2013 Issue:

Drug Take-Back Event

The Benton County Sheriff's Office Reserves are again sponsoring a Benton County Drug Take-Back event. This event provides a safe environment for the community to dispose of old and unused medications, keeping those drugs out of the hands of children, criminals, and out of the water system. The Drug Take-Back event will be on Saturday, 27 April, at the Benton County Fairgrounds, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Controlled, non-controlled and over-the-counter substances from individual households may all be collected. Examples include:

• Expired or unwanted prescription medications,
• Unneeded over-the counter medications,
• Drugs that didn't work for you, a family member or pet,
• Drugs that are no longer used,
• Medicine from deceased family members,
• Unknown tablets and capsules.

PLEASE DO NOT BRING…

• thermometers,
• intra-venous solutions,
• injectables,
• syringes,
• needles or other sharps such as EpiPens,
• medical waste of any kind,
• medications from business such as nursing homes, doctor's offices or other institutions.

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State of the Office Address

On January 9, 2013, Sheriff Diana Simpson conducted her annual "State of the Office" meeting for all members of the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Every January, Sheriff Simpson holds a meeting to share information about the accomplishments of not only all of the Sheriff's Office, but each division (Law Enforcement, Parole and Probation, Jail, and Emergency Management/Search and Rescue). Additionally, she outlines the goals for the coming year and into the future. This year she acknowledged and commended all members:

• "You have embraced the mission and the vision [of the Office] which only reinforces to the community that we are an exceptional Sheriff's Office and that we provide professional service and protection through honor and integrity. And I am always impressed with the extra effort and thoughtfulness you all give on and off the job; everything from going out to schools to reassure and support following the shootings, to helping raise funds to support Sgt. Peterson and the Sheriff's Foundation, to saying farewell to a 28 year career colleague. I truly believe that the reason the Public Safety and Health levy passed by such a significant margin is a direct result of your improved professionalism, responsiveness, respect, and commitment to the Office. The public saw that and supported us through their votes."
• Office accomplishments and goals were delineated for each division, and Sheriff Simpson closed with "As always, I consider it an honor and privilege to work with each and everyone one of you. My vision and goal for the next year is to continue to improve our image, our knowledge, our expertise, our professionalism, and our morale with all of your help."

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BCSO Awards and Recognition

February 6th marked the 10th Annual BCSO Awards and Recognition Event. This important event allows the Office to recognize the truly outstanding work and contributions of its members.

• Purple Heart - Awarded to Sgt David Peterson; who was hit by gunfire and wounded three times in a confrontation with an armed suspect. He continued to fight, returning fire at the suspect who was subdued.
• Medal of Honor - Awarded to Sgt David Peterson and Deputy Greg Goller; When Salem Police Corporal Andrew Connolly was hit by gunfire, Deputy Goller assisted him to cover then returned fire at the suspect. Even after being hit three times by gunfire, Sergeant Peterson also continued to fight, returning fire at the suspect who was subdued.
• Medal of Valor - Awarded to Deputy Aaron Gevatovsky; with the aid of two citizens, pulled the driver out of a burning vehicle to a safe distance and began rendering medical aid until medical and fire personnel arrived.
• Life Saving - Awarded to Deputy Adam Miller; who provided first aid to the wounded Sergeant Peterson. His quick actions were credited by the primary doctor as saving Sergeant Peterson's life.
• Life Saving - Awarded to Deputy Brent Iverson and Sgt. David Peterson who rescued a woman trapped on the top of her car roof as a result of some of the worst flooding since 1996.
• Life Saving - Awarded to Sgt Randy Hiner and Deputy Jerry Williams who were dispatched to a welfare check on a possible suicide subject. When they arrived they found a man hanging from some rafters, cut him down and revived him
• Oregon State Marine Board Life Saving - Awarded to Deputy Kyle Cooper, for actions that saved a life on the Willamette River in two separate incidents.
• Distinguished Service - Awarded to Dr. John Reiman who distinguished himself through his skill as a mental health professional and his genuine interest and support of Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies and staff. John helped the Office navigate several simultaneous incidents, ensuring that the BCSO grew from each adverse event.
• Distinguished Service - Awarded to Chaplain Todd Pynch who distinguished himself through his untiring effort and guidance to the Office during unprecedented events and challenges.
• Distinguished Service - Awarded to Linda Balzar and Mark Balzar for years of service, dedication, and devotion to the Mounted Posse and for involvement in the Tracking Unit, both carrying the distinction of "Sign Cutter."
• EM/SAR and Support Services Division Employee of the Year - Awarded to Sgt Leslie Pomaikai, whose professionalism and positive "can do" attitude brings credit to herself and to the Sheriff's Office.
• Jail Division Employee of the Year - Awarded to Nurse Nicole Kelly who took the initiative to update the medical training of corrections deputies to ensure compliance with standards and updated the processes for inmate medical care.
• Law Enforcement Division Employee of the Year - Awarded to Det. Chris Duffitt who maintains a positive attitude and determination to ensure protection of children and conviction of offenders.
• Parole and Probation Division Employee of the Year - Awarded to P and P Deputy Josh Hall was instrumental in the implementation and improvement of the P and P division's evidence-based programming and truly believes in using methods with offenders that have been proven to be effective.
• BCSO EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR - Awarded to Sgt Leslie Pomaikai who brings an enthusiasm and can-do attitude to her job assignments that is inspirational. She has earned the respect, faith and admiration of those fortunate to work with her. She has touched every aspect of BCSO in a positive way and as a result the Office is clearly better off.
• Volunteer Services to BCSO - Volunteers dedicate time, energy, and resources to BCSO and the multitude of programs that serve both the Office and the entire Benton County community. 71 of the approximately 150 volunteers received service awards and/or special recognition for their contributions.

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Special Guests

Sheriff Simpson invited the four-legged pals of the BCSO staff to join their two-legged friends at work for the day in January.

Bring your dog to work day guest "Sophie" had this to say about the event "Bark, bark, bark. I'll take all questions at the end of the press conference."

Dog treats were enjoyed by all.

 

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Sheriff Simpson on Gun Control:

"As a Sheriff, I have taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Oregon and the laws thereof. That is my responsibility and I take it seriously. This also means that by taking this oath I have and will support the Second Amendment rights of our citizens. I have been and will continue to be a strong supporter of our Oregon Concealed Handgun License program and have worked with our State Legislature to ensure that the rights of license holders are upheld and that their personal information remains confidential.

"I appreciate the concerns that many have communicated to me. I will continue to advocate for public safety and our citizen's rights. Everyone has a stake in this issue and my hope is that as a county, a state and a nation we can work together to stop the tragic events that we have recently been faced with.

"I do support 2nd amendment rights and have no intention of violating those rights for law abiding citizens. I also support the 23 directives from President Obama and the 'four common-sense steps we can take right now'. Nothing in anything I have read, seen, or heard regarding this approach leads me to believe there is a violation of 2nd amendment rights. I have also not read, seen, or heard anything that would lead me to believe the federal government intends to ban all firearms. I also want to make it perfectly clear that if the Supreme Court determines that any part of any gun or firearm legislation is a violation of 2nd amendment rights, I will not enforce those laws and will not expect any member of the Benton County Sheriff's Office to enforce those laws."

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Division News

LAW ENFORCEMENT:
Thanks to astute and observant efforts by Sgt. Ryan Moody, Thomas Carroll (one of our long time well-known local criminals) was arrested within minutes of the robbery of the Super 8 hotel. Sgt. Moody is applauded for his detection and deductive skills that led to Carroll's arrest.

In January, Deputy Aaron Gevatosky responded to a single vehicle traffic crash. The front of the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames and bystanders indicated there was a man trapped inside. Deputy Gevatosky used his entire fire extinguisher, as well as a second one provided by a citizen, but was unable to extinguish the flames. Deputy Gevatosky, with the aid of two citizens, pulled the driver out of the vehicle and rendered medical aid until medical and fire personnel arrived. The Medal of Valor was awarded to Deputy Gevatosky for his actions.

EMSAR:
The first ever Citizens Emergency Response Team launched training in February. The CERT program educates citizens about disaster preparedness for local hazards and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and hands-on exercises, CERT members will be able to assist their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.

JAIL/CORRECTIONS DIVISION::
Benton County Jail now offers e-mail as a service for friends and family members of inmates. Friends and family can go to an online service (InmateCanteen.com) and sign up for an account. Once established, e-mails can then be sent to the inmate. The inmate can use the kiosk in the inmate dayroom to respond to that email. Both parties are charged a nominal fee for the service (less than the cost of letter postage). The ability to communicate in a more efficient time frame is especially nice for family members that live out of town.

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Congratulations

Undersheriff Scott Jackson was accepted to the FBI Leadership Academy and is scheduled to attend from early April 2013 through mid-June 2013. There are very few applicants that are accepted throughout the state and the nation and to be accepted is quite an honor for not only the applicant, but the agency. We wish Scott the best of luck as he goes through the FBI Academy.

Congratulations to Judge Janet Holcomb, who retired after more than 15 years of distinguished service to Benton County.

Deputy Cody Ponder received congratulations from the DPSST Director of Training upon achieving the Physical Fitness Award for Basic Police Class 332. "Deputy Ponder has demonstrated an understanding of the importance of physical fitness in this chosen career and serves as a role model for other public safety professionals."

Congratulations to newly sworn Deputy Brian Lundy. A long-time Reserve Deputy, Lundy joined the BCSO ranks in February.

Parole and Probation officer Meghan Lee excelled in defensive tactics and received the Defensive Tactics Award from the DPSST in February. She "displayed exemplary skill" and "proficiency in controlling hostile persons, which frequently reduces injuries to officers and those controlled..."

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Commendations

Thanks go out to Deputy Christopher Dale for helping a citizen to describe and ultimately recover her stolen property.

BCSO EMSAR's Mary King received a glowing commendation from the director of the Military Dept. of Oregon's Office of Emergency Management. She worked with the department from October 2011 to January 2013 to develop a funding formula for Oregon. "She performed her tasks in an exemplary manner...was organized, efficient, and held up under...pressure. Her 'can do' attitude,...work ethic...and dedicated professionalism were always evident and greatly appreciated by the other committee members...She is a credit to your County." Awesome job, Mary!

Lincoln County Emergency Management is appreciative of BCSO Emergency Management member Eric Rau, his knowledge, research skills, and contributions.

Undersheriff Scott Jackson extended sincere thanks to the entire office for another successful Christmas parade. "I am convinced the hard work and contribution you all put forth benefits the SO in many ways by fostering community appreciation and support."

A Kiger Island resident expresses thanks to Deputy Cody Ponder and Deputy Rick Fontaine for assisting with an incident, giving the resident sound advice and following up. She "appreciates the fact that men and women are willing to work in law enforcement" in such dangerous and frustrating times.

The Arc honors businesses who hire individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and wants the Sheriff and "the entire community to know that..[what the BCSO does is valued]...and appreciate the example...set for others" by demonstrating that barriers to employment can be overcome.

Deputy Eric Konzelman received thanks from a grateful CPD parent after giving a daughter a lesson and reality check about winter roads and driving hazards.

Marine Patrol Deputy Eric Konzelman and Deputy Kyle Cooper were in the right place at the right time to help a stranded and hurt couple following a kayaking accident in the Willamette river last Fall. After a fall into the water and a cold overnight stay on the brambly riverbank, the couple was rescued after the husband trekked to find help. The deputies helped with transport and were also able to retrieve all the soggy possessions, including the submerged kayak.

Black ice on Hwy 99 created a parents' nightmare in January. Fortunately, Deputy Aaron Gevatovsky was able to help a young man and reassure a distraught parent after a crash near midnight. The Salem parent could hear Gevatovsky over the phone and could hear all of his "kindness and...helpfulness and thankful that your demeanor was very comforting" to her son.

Deputy Justin Bowers received enthusiastic thanks from pack 259 Bear Cubs, for his time, "love and care," and for teaching them about law enforcement.

Cpl Al Schermerhorn provided a citizen with some real-life experience during a ride-along and received sincere thanks.

The OSSA SARAC (Oregon search and rescue organizations) curriculum committee and Lane Search and Rescue Coordinator "thank the Sheriff for supporting their success" by loaning them Benton County's EMSAR manager Mary King. "Without Mary's assistance and input we would never have achieved [the] goal" of creating a weeklong course to "allow search managers to effectively run a mission" and dealt with 90% of the cases encountered.

Parole and Probation Officer Cody Smith impressed a client with his "kindness...and service." Probation gives clients the chance to get back on their feet and be honest about the situation.

A grateful friend acknowledges several of the Office deputies who responded to an accident and fatality on Sulfur Springs Road in November. Deputies Fontaine, Gevatosky, Iverson, Iverson, Nowak, and Schermerhorn were "the epitome of professionalism" demonstrating "the ultimate sensitivity, and compassion..."

Very appreciative parents thank Sheriff Simpson and Deputies Jerry Williams, Eric Konzelman, Randy Hiner, and Brad Dyke for their "professional and compassionate demeanor" while helping their distressed daughter. Their care "exemplifies the best of law enforcement and spirit of community" and their daughter is thriving in part due to their contributions.