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Vernonia police report rising calls, buy two handheld LIDAR units and flag dog-control staffing gaps
Summary
The police representative told council year-to-date calls are slightly above 2024 totals and outlined purchases of two handheld LIDAR devices funded through an ODOT reimbursement grant. The department also said regional animal-control capacity has been reduced while the sheriff’s office fills vacancies.
The Vernonia Police Department presented September and October activity statistics and equipment updates. The department reported year-to-date calls for service of 2,433, compared with 2,238 at the end of 2024, and said it expects call volume to exceed last year's totals by year-end.
"If you look at the year to date calls for service, we are almost at where we were at the end of 2024... Now we're at 2,433," the department representative said, citing October data. The department also reported purchase of two handheld LIDAR units at $2,100 each using an ODOT reimbursement grant, describing LIDAR as a more accurate alternative to conventional radar for targeted traffic enforcement.
On animal control, the department said the county sheriff's office has shifted responsibilities during recent staffing changes; two new part-time hires are onboarding but are not yet fully trained, and the city should expect limited county support until they reach full capability. The department recommended relying on outside guidance (for example, Oregon Humane Society) in complex animal-control cases until county staff are fully trained.
Next steps: department will continue monthly reporting of statistics; staff and council discussed enforcement roles while county animal-control staff finish training.
