The public safety log remains something of a staple for newspapers, but one complaint that comes up is these are no longer the sources of information they once were. That’s not the case everywhere, and some newspapers, such as The Observer, are fortunate enough to have local law enforcement that still provides enough information to actually report something.
Other police agencies in Eastern Oregon give the bare minimum.
Here are actual recent examples of what the daily “Press Briefing” looks like from the La Grande Police Department:
05/28/24 09:30:15 Vehicle – Stolen UUMV 975 2ND ST, NORTH POWDER, OR LGS REPORT OF A STOLEN VEHICLE. DEPUTY RESPONDED, REPORT TAKEN
Sure, time, date, place, nature of the crime, what law enforcement did, but nothing about what kind of vehicle. Similar to this entry:
05/28/24 10:57:14 Criminal Mischief 301 C AV, LA GRANDE, OR 97850 LGP REPORT OF CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. OFFICER RESPONDED, REPORT TAKEN.
Just what was the criminal mischief? Or, as in the next entry, just what is a “civil disturbance?”
05/29/24 12:22:04 Disturbance – Civil 10801 S WALTON RD #A202, LGS REPORT OF A CIVIL DISTURBANCE. DEPUTY MADE CONTACT
And yes, the entries come in all caps, so for us to build the public safety log we edit these to look something more like a typical sentence in English. But compare that above to what most agencies provide in Umatilla County. Below are typical examples from the Pendleton Police Department’s crime online bulletin, which you can find here: https://pendleton.crimegraphics.com/2013/default.aspx.
• 12:18 Unauthorized Use MV 2405290159
Occurred on SE 16TH St. COLD unauthorized use of motor vehicle. kje. Disposition: CIVIL PROBLEM.
• 16:06 Suspicious Activity 2405290251
Occurred at Pendleton Convention Center on Westgate. Susp. kkw. Disposition: COMPLETED.
• 17:33 Dog Complaint 2405290286
Occurred at Rental Property on SE Byers Ave. Dog. kkw RP’s dog got out and bit someone. No ambulance is needed.
Cellular E911 Call:
Service Class: WPH2. Disposition: REPORT TAKEN.
Sure, there’s time and dates here, but Southeast 16th Street in Pendleton is more than just one block long. And just what was the “Suspicious Activity” at the Pendleton Convention Center? And where on Southeast Byers Avenue was the dog complaint? The road runs for blocks and blocks.
Pendleton isn’t alone in being vague. The Hermiston Police Department and Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office are the same way. You can find HPD’s info here: https://hpd.crimegraphics.com/2013/default.aspx, and there are some typical entries:
• 7:23 Suspicious Activity 2405280069
Occurred at W Dogwood Ave/NW Spruce St. Susp. DG
Cellular E911 Call:. Disposition: COMPLETED.
• 10:07 Criminal Mischief Complaint 2405280109
Occurred at Highland Park on NE 13TH St. Cold CM. bwj. Disposition: COMPLETED.
• 21:31 Theft Complaint 2405280324
Occurred on N 1ST St. Theft. kkw. Disposition: ARREST MADE.
At least this one had an arrest, but no idea what the theft was about. Sure, there are exceptions to the entries lacking much nut-and-bolts information, but for the most part if we want to know more, we have to call the police and talk to a supervisor and that’s a lot of work from all parties for something that should not consume a lot of time.
Oh, and if you wonder what those odd initials mean, “kkw,” for example, our understanding is those are the initials of the dispatcher who took the information. We don’t include that when we write up entries because it doesn’t matter to the reporting.
The Morrow County Sheriff’s Office provides more details than many of its counterparts, but it does not provide the information in a way you can copy-and-paste.
Oregon State Police, to its credit, trusts the public with the most information, giving what amounts to brief but detailed reports of traffic stops, car chases, crashes and arrests. We’d love all law enforcement to do that, but we understand not all agencies have the same resources, and police in some cases need to protect some information.
Still, if you question why public safety logs in newspapers can seem so vague and lifeless at times, it’s not because we’re sanitizing reports. Most of the time agencies have done that well before we see anything.
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