CCSO OpEd By: Captain Sean Sanborn – It is that time of year again in Coos County! The lights at Shore Acres are up and beautiful as usual. As of December 20th, crab season has a partial opener which I am always very excited about. A long-time tradition in my family is to have crab for Christmas Eve Dinner. Families are coming together and dinners are being made. Many are preparing to make that new year’s resolution to go to the gym in a hope of slimming down the holiday gains! My pride in this community swells during the holidays to see the generosity of this great community. The Coos County Sheriff’s Office participated in the annual Shop with the Heroes event organized by the Coquille Police Department. This event raises money to take needy kids to go shopping for Christmas with members of our law enforcement and fire service members. 155 kids participated with $10,000 raised, each kiddo received $65 to spend and it was a great success. What hits me the most about that event is that the community funded this event for the kids which speaks to the generosity of our community…it tugs at the heart strings. There are events like this which help needy folks in our community all over and it is a great thing to see. It is during this time of year when folks like to do stuff for their local law enforcement. I can’t tell you how many times I have had a meal bought for me and many of our Deputies can attest to this. While this gesture is most certainly appreciated, our ethics rules state that we cannot accept it. It has always been my practice to pass it on and pay for another meal for someone else in turn. While we certainly appreciate your support, we just are not allowed to accept it in that way. Sadly, the holidays are not cheerful for everyone. It is also this time of year when we see an uptick in impaired driving. Folks are attending holiday parties and having a good time which is great! But we ask that folks have a plan for after the party to get home. Drinking and driving is never a good idea and places the driver and others around them in danger. So, please have a plan. Also, during this time of year, we see an increase in domestic violence. It kind of makes sense if one thinks on it, everyone is gathered together and inside. Often those old disputes arise and sometimes, violence breaks out. We ask that people take a break from one another should this type of problem crop up. Separate yourself from the situation instead of resorting to violence. No one wants Christmas dinner at our Coquille facility waiting to see a judge. It has been a wild year at the Sheriff’s Office and we have seen an overwhelming support from our community. To date our Dispatch Center has taken over 36,000 calls for service. We have been seeking qualified folks to work for our office and we have made great gains there. I am happy to say that in January we will be hiring four folks which, once they are trained, will allow us to open our jail to 98 beds. As always, the work continues and we continue to improve, learn and grow as an office and as individuals. We don’t always get it right, but we certainly try to learn from our mistakes. In closing, I would like to wish all you who read this; happy holidays. In this season of giving, you have given throughout the year, your support and constructive input to this office which is definitely appreciated. I hope you all have a great new year and my hope is bright that we will continue to grow, adapt and learn as a community to develop our home into the place we want it to be. Happy Holidays!
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