Not every police agency provides a log of its responses, and few do it with the finesse of the Forest Grove Police Department. Every week, we post the goings on as provided by this community 25 miles west of Portland, not because it’s earth-shatteringly important, but because it provides a glimpse into the world of modern small-town policing.
During the week, Forest Grove police officers were engaged in more than 522 activities, both reported and self-initiated. Here are some of the highlights:
Aug. 2
• A group of teenagers were causing a scene at a local hotel and provoking a security guard. The youths told officers they were searching for secret passages before the security guard caught them. They were trespassed from the location.
• Police received a tip that a possible drunk driver was coming into town via Gales Creek, swerving all over the road. Officers located the vehicle and arrested the driver on suspicion of DUII. She was later found to have nearly three times the legal blood alcohol concentration.
• A caller reported a pickup and trailer were parked on a church lot, and the resident was allowing their dog to defecate in the caller’s backyard. Officers contacted the trailer owner, who advised she would move along and find somewhere else to relieve the pet.
Aug. 3
• Officers, while assisting the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, stopped a vehicle driving erratically along Highway 47. Police found the driver to have a suspended license and no insurance, and a search yielded a significant amount of suspected methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, and stolen property. Deputies took over the stop upon their arrival.
• Police were called to a possible domestic disturbance in an apartment complex. On arrival, officers learned that a child with autism was acting out some frustration, but was not a danger to himself or others, and parents had the situation under control.
• A woman reported that a suspicious vehicle leaves her apartment complex at the same time every evening, and inquired as to whether it was an undercover police vehicle transmitting soundwaves into the complex. It is not.
Aug. 4
• A belligerent, intoxicated man was threatening convenience store employees after being declined the purchase of alcohol. As police were arriving, the man attempted to flee on his bicycle. Officers caught the man a few blocks away and, after a brief struggle, took him into custody on multiple charges.
• Officers received a call from an individual who reported they were unable to get up and that their caretaker was not responding to calls for help. After several minutes of pounding on the door, ringing the bell and calling the caretaker’s number, officers eventually made contact. Police are investigating the circumstances.
• Officers checked on a man lying on the ground in the middle of a parking lot. The man was noticeably under the influence of drugs. He was advised to move along and warned that any further police contact would result in a trip to a detox facility.
Aug. 5
• A caller reported a fight between the occupants of an adjacent hotel room, with a shouting match regarding a possible robbery and sex offenders. Police found no such altercation, but did discover a television with the volume quite high.
• A caller reported a litter of puppies in a pen near a local church. Police found the dogs to be associated with a truck and trailer belonging to a known transient. The vehicles were provided with tow notices.
Aug. 6
• A man admitted during a traffic stop to speeding and swerving along David Hill Road and B Street in an attempt to impress his girlfriend. Police also learned that during his escapade, he nearly struck a couple out for an evening walk. The man was arrested on multiple charges.
• The Forest Grove Police Department welcomed upwards of 1,500 guests to its annual National Night Out event at Pacific University.
• A caller reported teens playing ding-dong-ditch in the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately for the juveniles, their exploits were caught on camera and a follow-up from officers initiated.
Aug. 7
• A caller reported a man working out in the back lot of the police department. Officers contacted the man, who advised he was pumping iron while his children were being tutored at the library next door.
• Police responded to a location where an incomplete 911 call had originated. Officers found numerous children at the house and one playing with a phone. The officer provided the children with a short lesson on the importance of only using 911 for emergencies.
Aug. 8
• A small child was walking alone around a busy intersection. The child said he was on his way to get candy, but was unaware money was required. Officers returned the boy home and briefed his mother on the child’s adventure.
• A caller reported that he had allowed an unknown man to come into his residence who subsequently took a vessel of spare change and ran out the door. Police are investigating.
• A caller reported multiple youths were putting bottles in the road for cars to run over. Police found the street clean upon arrival and conflicting stories regarding the incident, but no evidence of a crime.