Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Police Report topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Goldendale police report shows rising calls and traffic complaints; school resource officer under consideration
Summary
Chief Mike Smith reported 3,280 calls handled in the year (a 308 increase), a sharp rise in traffic complaints (from 224 to 334), recent tows, and discussion about staffing and a potential school resource officer to meet growing demand.
Goldendale Police Chief Mike Smith told the council the department fielded 3,280 calls in the year, an increase of about 308 calls from the prior year, and said traffic-related complaints rose from 224 in 2023 to 334 in 2024.
Smith said the department towed five cars and one motor home over the past six weeks for issues including expired tabs and is working with the building official to clean up streets. He described staffing pressures: the department is “fully staffed now” except for one position and faces added workload from training mandates, vacations and increased traffic through town.
Smith said some categories of offenses decreased (for example domestic-related calls) while certain line items rose. He also reported the arrest of a fugitive, Scott Newman, in a warrant arrest outside Columbus.
On schools, Smith said the department has begun conversations with local schools about pursuing a school resource officer (SRO) and is exploring funding to hire a position that could also assist with summertime traffic events.
Council members discussed the potential impact of increased traffic from regional development and energy projects and noted the city’s limited ability to absorb additional service demand without additional resources. Smith said the department responds to a wide range of citizen-assist calls that tie up officer time and that, unlike larger cities, Goldendale typically responds to all such calls.
Why it matters: The report documents rising service demand that council members said may require staffing or resource changes, particularly if construction and regional projects bring more traffic and transient populations through Goldendale.
