Who Watches the Watchers?
OpEd By: CCSO Captain Sean M. Sanborn – I am certain many of us have had some sort of contact with a government worker which was not necessarily a positive event. I know I have, a cop in fact, I only wish I knew now what I didn’t know then. There are many who may not understand the stresses of law enforcement. For at least forty hours a week, usually more, the men and women of law enforcement go out and deal with people who are having their worst day. There is a situation someone called about which is out of their control and they called for law enforcement to handle it. We do so with varying degrees of success and failure. For a long time, it was expected that this is just part of the job. That the men and women who work in law enforcement signed up for what they get. And we did. However, that does not make us superhuman or not prone to make mistakes. We are human after all and subject to all the foibles which humanity has to offer. But, who watches the watchers? Who cares for the cops and fire service folks when we have a really bad day and see some really horrible stuff, or worse yet are forced to do something we are not made or prone to do? The suicide rate amongst members of law enforcement is daunting. In 2020, one-hundred and sixteen men and women of law enforcement died at their own hands. Statistically, it is more common for a cop to take their own life that it is for them to be killed in the line of duty. Law Enforcement is 54% more at risk to commit suicide than the civilian population. This is sad and scary all at the same time. Speaking for myself, I know that I am a little more irritable with just about everyone, my own family included, when I am under significant stress. We also now know and better understand the affects of cumulative stress. This is not one big event, but several events which stack up over time. If not properly handled these stresses can cause folks to have complete breakdowns, become ineffective. There are high rates of alcoholism, gambling addiction and other issues associated with law enforcement. This is greatly attributed to the rigors of the job. The elephant in the room is Post Traumatic Stress which occurs after a significant traumatic event, an event which in my profession occurs so often we have our own name for it: a critical incident. As a long time patrol cop and now administrator, I have come to understand the importance of taking care of our own people as they care of the community. Just recently, Sergeant Adam Slater had someone point a gun at him from close range. As I spoke with Adam, I noted he recognized the danger he was in. The stress I heard in his voice on the radio as this was happening made me want to run to him, even though I didn’t know where he was at. Adam was stressed. I myself had a man try to stab me and came very close to doing so. Personally, I experienced a period of hyper-awareness. I jumped at the sudden opening of a door and prepared to fight when my daughter walked through it. I thought I could handle anything, but the mind is insidious. My subconscious was telling me I couldn’t handle anything. In those times, talking with someone helped me work through those feelings. At the Coos County Sheriff’s Office we have created a vehicle to assist in the wellness of our employees. We have developed a Wellness program which focuses on the physical, mental and spiritual health of the men and women who work here. For the physical wellness, we have set aside a space for gym. This gym is fairly well equipped. We have employees who have received training to guide our members with diet and fitness plans. For the mental wellness of our employees we have a Peer Support team. This team is comprised of deputies and staff who receive special training to come alongside of a peer and just be there for them, an ear to talk to. Recently, the Sheriff’s Office contracted with a company called First Watch which will provide a culturally competent clinician to our members and their families at need. An appointment can be made within 24 hours or sooner following a critical incident. This company does not report back to administration and all of their interactions are for the benefit of the employee, even the billing is coded to protect confidentiality. Lastly, we have a spiritual wellness program. For those so inclined, we have a chaplaincy program and our chaplains regularly ride with and minister to our employees, those interactions are also confidential. The only time this confidentiality would be broken is in the event that someone discloses certain events such as the intent to carry out a crime, hurt themselves or someone else. Currently, the men and women of law enforcement are experiencing tough times. We go out every day and share the burden of a death when a loved one dies outside the hospital. We have people yell at us, spit out insulting comments, blame us for not being able to solve their problem in the way they feel it should be solved and take out their resentment and anger over the situation they find themselves in on us. We have to investigate cases where children and the elderly have been horribly and viciously abused or assaulted. We must bear this all and at the end of any contact say with professionalism “have a nice day”. We do this all through the overtime and stress of being understaffed. We, at times, receive complaints about the conduct of an officer from the public. The first thing we look at is why did the conduct happen? We of course hold our own accountable, but it is just as important to ensure that we aren’t missing a mental health concern. At the end of the day, the watchers are being watched. We are largely doing this from within our own ranks. But I feel it is important that you, the people we work for, understand that bad days happen for everyone. There are no exceptions to that rule. As we care for you, please care for us, give a call if there is a concern and we will do everything we can to ensure the problem is being handled. Even if handling that concern means that we circle around an employee and care for them.
CCSO Hiring Event
CCSO release – Date / Time: July 22, 2023, 9:00 a.m.; Classification: Hiring Event; Location: Coos Bay Fire; Coos County Sheriff’s Office continues to actively hire. Come fill out an application at our booth at the Coos County Fair. On July 22nd at 9:00 a.m. Coos Bay Fire Station #1 hosted an Oregon Physical Abilities Test (ORPAT) for recent applicants to your local law enforcement agencies. Several applicants attended, representing several different local agencies. At the end of testing (Physical and Written), the Coos County Sheriff’s Office had (3) applicants pass all phases and will move on to a comprehensive background. The Sheriff’s Office still has several vacancies to fill and will conduct another (ORPAT) testing in August. If you would like to apply, please visit our booth at the Coos County Fair in the Clarno Building. You can apply and be scheduled for testing right at the booth! We look forward to seeing YOU at an upcoming test to become a Coos County Sheriff’s Office member.
Coos Co. DUII Task Force Mobilizing for County Fair
CCSO release – The 2023 Fair and Rodeo is rapidly approaching, which will run July 25th – 29th. This is a great event for our county to bring people together from near and far. Local law enforcement will be teaming up to make sure everyone can have a great fair week by putting more Officers, Deputies and Troopers on the streets and highways to focus on impaired driving enforcement. Officers from around the county will be focusing their patrols around the fairgrounds to try and intercept impaired drivers, should they choose to get behind the wheel. Here are a couple of quick facts provided about impaired driving from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 g/dL. Although it’s illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2021 one person was killed every 39 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads. The average DUI costs $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, and more. The financial impact from impaired-driving crashes is devastating. Based on 2019 numbers (the most recent year for which cost data is available), impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $58 billion annually. The ability to provide extra enforcement is made possible through grant money awarded to agencies by the Oregon Department of Transportation. This will be the fourth event that the Coos County DUII Task Force has mobilized for this year. So far, the team has made 172 traffic stops, resulting in 216 warnings for various violations and 37 violation citations. Further, these enforcement patrols have resulted in 4 DUII arrests, 4 warrant arrests, and 7 criminal citations. If you plan to drink while enjoying the fair activities, please plan to have a designated sober driver.
DUII, Hit & Run, Green Acres
CCSO release – Date / Time: July 21, 2023, at 3:00 a.m.; Case Number(s): 2023-00022427; Classification: DUII / Hit & Run; Location: Green Acres; Suspect(s): Lepiz, Jesus S. (19). Green Acres man arrested on an outstanding warrant and charged with DUII and Hit and Run. On July 21, 2023, at 3:00 a.m. Deputy H. Francis was patrolling in the Green Acres area. While in the area, Deputy Francis observed a white van drive by her with the side sliding door open and the vehicle operating without any lights. Deputy Francis attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle. However, it accelerated and failed to yield for a short distance before pulling into the middle of the road on Acme Lane. The driver, Jesus S. Lepiz (19) of Green Acres, said he had just given several of his intoxicated friends a ride home. During the investigation, Deputy Francis noticed that Mr. Lepiz was also intoxicated. Mr. Lepiz also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Jesus S. Lepiz (19) was arrested on the outstanding warrant and the additional charge of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicates. Mr. Lepiz was transported to the Coos County Jail, where he was booked and later released. Around 11:00 a.m. Det. Davis from the Sheriff’s Office was contacted about a hit-and-run in the Green Acres area. The vehicle involved was described as a white van that had struck another (parked) vehicle around 3:00 a.m. As a result of this report and an exceptional follow-up investigation by both Deputies Francis and Davis, Mr. Lepiz is also being referred to the Coos County District Attorney’s Office on the charge of Hit and Run.
Recovered Stolen Property, Cape Arago Hwy.
CCSO release – Date / Time: July 23rd, 2023, around 2:09 pm; Case Number(s): 202300022564; Classification: Recovered stolen property; Location: Cape Arago Highway; Suspect(s): Travis Roland (38) and Courtney Beasley (47). Coos County couple steals cans, boots, and beer from residence on Cape Arago Highway. On July 23rd, 2023, around 2:09 pm, Coos County Dispatch received a call from a residence on Cape Arago Hwy for a theft of recyclable cans. Deputy M.R. Smith responded to the residence. Upon Deputy Smith’s arrival, he was also advised that a case of unopened beer was stolen from under the residence’s carport, and two sets of Bogs Brand mud boots were stolen from in front of the entry door. The victims provided surveillance video footage of the suspects, later identified as Mr. Travis Roland (38) and Ms. Courtney Elizabeth Beasley (47), taking the boots, the case of beer, and a large number of cans. Deputy Smith recognized the suspect vehicle from the surveillance video as one that frequented the area. Deputy Smith located the suspect vehicle parked on Cape Arago near Shore Acres and contacted Travis and Courtney. During the contact, Deputy Smith recovered the stolen Bogs boots and the case of beer. Unfortunately, they had already cashed in the cans. Travis and Courtney were issued criminal citations for Theft in the 2nd Degree and Trespassing in the 2nd Degree. Both pairs of Bogs Boots and the case of beer were returned to the victims.
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