Loss of Patrols Having an Impact

Since March 29 of this year through August 1, the Polk County Sheriff's Office has been reduced to only one 10-hour patrol shift a day, seven days a week. During this time, there have been 811 calls come into the Willamette Valley Communication Center requesting a deputy to respond to a call for assistance or reporting a crime but there has not been a deputy on duty to respond. 

"In a few cases, we have called a supervisor out of bed because the dispatcher told them medics were also responding to the call due to reported injuries, generally involving a domestic disturbance," stated Sheriff Bob Wolfe. The Sheriff's Office previously handled all calls, 24 hours a day, while providing back up to local law enforcement agencies. Now even the fire departments are handling traffic crashes where they call for tow trucks and clean up the scene without a deputy there to investigate. This potentially impacts the insurance companies who no longer have the crash investigation done by a deputy at the scene. 

Sheriff Bob Wolfe stated, "This is frustrating for us, and I am very concerned about the impacts this is having on my employees. It is extremely challenging to respond to high priority calls knowing that your back-up is coming from across the County. In some cases we call upon a local municipal agency to leave their city to assist us, but then this leaves the city without their officer because they are helping to cover the County." 

The local fire departments have expressed concern and frustration when an ambulance is required to wait for law enforcement to arrive at the scene of a medical call that is not safe and secure for their medics. Delays, at times lengthy, could have a significant impact on the victim at 2:00 a.m., a dispatcher must call the on-call supervisor, wake them up, and brief them on the call to determine if they will respond. If the supervisor decides the situation needs an emergency response, the supervisor must get dressed, get his equipment, and call out another deputy, adding additional delay to the response, as they get ready to respond. Then, both must drive to the location. All this could add as much as 30 plus minutes to a victim who needs immediate assistance. 

"I am very concerned about the impacts these delays have on the employees at the Willamette Valley Communication Center who are having people ask for help, the medics who are not able to enter a residence due to potential risk to their safety, and my deputy who now must make important decisions after being woken up by the phone call" stated Sheriff Bob Wolfe. 

Another impact beginning to show up is the decline in the arrest made by deputies, meaning more criminals who should be in custody are not because patrol only works 10 hours a day. "Between March 29th and August 1st there has been a 45% decrease in arrest by Polk County Deputies" stated Sheriff Bob Wolfe.