Gladstone Police Department

The Gladstone Police Department (GPD) is the law enforcement agency of Gladstone, Oregon, United States.[2]

Gladstone Police Department
AbbreviationGPD
Agency overview
Formed1911
Jurisdictional structure
General nature
Operational structure
Police Officers15
Civilians5
Agency executive
  • John Schmerber[1], Chief of Police
Website
www.ci.gladstone.or.us/gladstonepolicechief
Gladstone
Crime rates* (2013)
Violent crimes
Homicide1
Rape5
Robbery1
Aggravated assault16
Total violent crime23
Property crimes
Burglary44
Larceny-theft220
Motor vehicle theft34
Arson3
Total property crime298
Notes

*Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population.

2013 population: 11,699

Source: 2013 FBI UCR Data

Services

The Gladstone Police Department provides many services to the citizens of Gladstone and the surrounding communities,[2] including:

Patrol
Patrol operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, staffed by uniformed police officers and sergeants. These officers provide 9-1-1 and emergency response, along with responding to routine requests for service and assistance.
Traffic
With portions of Interstate 205 and Oregon Route 99E falling within city limits, in addition to many local roads, traffic enforcement along with accident response and investigation are a major function of GPD.
Detective
GPD staffs 2 full-time police detectives that investigate various felony crimes.[3]
School Resource Officer
The department dedicates a uniformed school resource officer (SRO) for Gladstone School District, along with a high-visibility SRO vehicle.[4]
Municipal Ordinance Specialist
With a focus on maintaining a high standard of community livability, GPD staffs a Municipal Ordinance Specialist (MOS) to enforce compliance of city code.[3]
Reserve Police Officers
In addition to the 15 full-time sworn personnel, GPD maintains an active reserve officer program, fully staffed with 5 volunteer police officers.
Other Services
In addition to the above, GPD maintains a number of other activities and functions, such as a records unit, property and evidence, and a citizen volunteer program.

Location

GPD currently shares a building with City Hall, and is located on Gladstone's main street, Portland Avenue.[5]

Ranks
Title Insignia
Chief of Police
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Police Officer/Detective

History

The Gladstone Police Department was founded the same year as Gladstone itself, in 1911.[6] In a state that was only a little more than 50 years old, early Gladstone was very rural, and its police force spent much of its time dealing with rural problems, such as rounding up escaped livestock.[7] In 1913, a large, rabid bulldog was reported to have been menacing the Gladstone's citizens.[8] Chief Miller's last official act as chief, before leaving the position to be a full-time postmaster, was to kill the bulldog.[9] In 1918, GPD appointed a "special woman policeman" to help with combating the 1918 flu pandemic.[10]

Gladstone fired officer Lynn Benton due to the murder of his wife in May 2011.[11] Benton was fired in December 2011, and was later charged with the murder.[12][13][14] The department eliminated its canine unit in April 2014.[15] In 2014, GPD received accreditation for attaining a high standard of professionalism, making it one of only 20% of Oregon law enforcement agencies to have received accreditation at that time.[16] Chief Jim Pryde retired early in 2015 after issues with the city council over his paid consulting work.[17][18][19]

Police chiefs past and present[6]
  • Asa F. Parker (1911 – 1912)
  • Morton Bell (1912 – 1913)
  • William H. Miller (1913)
  • Percy A. Cross (1913 – 1916)
  • Victor Gault (1916)
  • Morton Bell (1916)
  • R.L. Blancharce (1916 – 1919)
  • Thomas E. Gault (1919 – 1925)
  • J.C. Wallace (1925 – 1928)
  • Harry Morrell (1928 – 1934)
  • Henry Strebig (1934 – 1938)
  • George Fisner (1938 – 1943)
  • Henry Streibig (1943 – 1945)
  • Fred Smith (1945 – 1946)
  • Henry Strebig (1947)
  • Louis Biby (1947 – 1951)
  • Clarence E. Moore (1951 – 1957)
  • William A. Lewis (1957 – 1961)
  • Charles L. McCarthy (1962 – 1965)
  • William D. Preble (1966 – 1970)
  • David R. Clemens (1970 – 1981)
  • Max Patterson (1982 – 1990)
  • Robert Beard (interim chief) (1990 – 1991)
  • Robert King (1991 – 2002)
  • Richard Rye (interim chief) (2002)
  • Willie F. Grace (2002 – 2008)
  • Joe Simon (interim chief) (2008 – 2009)
  • Jim Pryde (2009 – 2015)
  • Lee Jundt (interim chief) (2015)[20]
  • Jeff Jolley (interim to fully appointed) (2015 – current)[20]

See also

References
  1. https://www.ci.gladstone.or.us/police/page/chiefs-message
  2. "Gladstone Police Department". www.ci.gladstone.or.us. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  3. "Gladstone Police Department Contacts". www.ci.gladstone.or.us. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  4. Bella, Rick (September 23, 2014). "Gladstone's school resource officer showcases hot-looking patrol car". www.oregonlive.com. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  5. "Gladstone Police Department FAQ". www.ci.gladstone.or.us. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  6. "Gladstone Police Department Past". www.ci.gladstone.or.us. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  7. "Municipal Dairy is Gladstone Idea" (PDF). Morning Enterprise. Oregon City, OR. July 4, 1913. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  8. "Huge Bulldog Mad; At Large" (PDF). Morning Enterprise. Oregon City, OR. July 25, 1913. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  9. "Police Chief Quits Job at Gladstone" (PDF). Morning Enterprise. Oregon City, OR. September 13, 1913. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  10. "Special Woman Policeman Now On Duty At Gladstone" (PDF). Oregon City Courier. Oregon City, OR. December 12, 1918. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  11. Bella, Rick (December 22, 2011). "City fires cop linked to plot". The Oregonian.
  12. Mayes, Steve (November 8, 2012). "Former Gladstone officer faces murder charges". The Oregonian.
  13. Edwards, Victoria (July 14, 2012). "Bizarre murder still haunts town". The Oregonian.
  14. Mayes, Steve (May 20, 2015). "Trial of Lynn Benton, former cop accused of killing his wife, will be postponed for several months". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  15. Wilkes, Byron (April 14, 2014). "Police dogs". The Oregonian. p. A4.
  16. Bella, Rick (September 10, 2014). "Gladstone Police Department officially accredited". www.oregonlive.com. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  17. Rendleman, Raymond (March 2, 2015). "Gladstone Police Chief Jim Pryde's sudden exit leaves lingering issues". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  18. Rendleman, Raymond (March 6, 2015). "Documents reveal Police Chief Jim Pryde's final dealings with Gladstone". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  19. Bailey Jr., Everton (March 28, 2015). "Gladstone police chief's early exit caps sometimes-rocky tenure". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  20. Bailey, Everton (2 March 2015). "Gladstone police chief retires months earlier than planned in 'mutual' decision with city". The Oregonian. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
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