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Wasco police and fire chiefs report rising activity and enforcement operations
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Summary
Fire and police chiefs told the council about recent incident loads, targeted enforcement operations and a vehicle pursuit that led to seizure of an assault‑style rifle; councilmembers thanked both departments for their work.
Fire Chief Appleton and Police Chief Maura gave the council their monthly public safety reports. Chief Appleton said January and February combined produced about 217 calls in Wasco — including 20 fires, 119 medical calls and three rescues — and described a truck fire on Highway 46 that carried hazardous materials and required roadside cleanup but no evacuations.
Police Chief Maura summarized March activity and enforcement initiatives. She reported roughly 1,661 total incidents, about 305 traffic stops, 109 citations (37 moving violations) and 41 parking citations; she said the department worked about 172 cases and made 98 arrests during the period and recovered seven stolen vehicles. The chief described a tobacco‑sales decoy operation that produced two citations for selling to minors and a distracted‑driving enforcement operation that resulted in multiple stops and a short vehicle pursuit ending with recovery of an assault‑style rifle and an extended magazine.
Councilmembers thanked both chiefs for the reports and for recent interagency communications; one councilmember called recent enforcement and trained operations (noise certification, LIDAR training) positive signs that the departments are addressing recurring community complaints. No formal council direction or policy decisions were recorded on these reports.
