Tip Of The Week For The Week Of January 6, 2025 - Beginning Of The Year Scams (Photo)
-01/02/25
BEGINNING OF THE YEAR SCAMS
The start of the new year brings new and old scams alike. Be on the lookout for scams which often come through emails, texts, and phone calls aimed at tricking you into disclosing personal and financial information. Common scams may also threaten you with late fees, missed jury duty, or other penalties which “require” you to pay immediately or in untraditional payment types such as gift cards, BitCoin, money orders, and others. Here are some things to keep in mind throughout the year.
Protect Yourself Throughout the Year
Although some scams target specific events and deadlines, such as tax season or open enrollment, scams happen throughout the year. Scammers are creative and resourceful; they will try to convince you they are with a legitimate agency. They will sometimes create a fake, professional-looking profile or a website that looks very similar to the organization’s actual page. Scammers may try to use your emotions against you, such as pretending to be a family member in jail or threaten legal consequences if you do not pay immediately. When in doubt, hang up without providing personal or payment information and contact the real organization to verify the request is really coming from their office.
Some things you can do to protect yourself and loved ones from scams:
- Confirm an agency is legitimate (and the contact is really with the agency) before sending sensitive information or payment. Do not click on links or call phone numbers sent to you in suspicious communications. Instead, look up the agency’s contact information by searching online or in a phone book.
- When you set up an account with an agency (bank, utilities, healthcare, etc.) bookmark their website and save their office number. This will make it easy to follow up with them if you receive a call, text, email, or letter requesting payment or sensitive information.
- Be wary of social media comments. Do not click on links from other users or share sensitive information with them.
- Help your friends and family members recognize scams and suspicious communications.
- Remember, in general agencies such as law enforcement, healthcare, and financial institutes will not ask you for your account login and password information.
- Remember what agencies will contact you about.
- Our office will not call you regarding federal jury duty, local jury duty, etc.
- We will not ask for payment over the phone.
- Our office and other government agencies will not ask you to pay fines or fees with gift cards, money orders, bitcoin, etc.
- Our office will not try to sell you merchandise or swag over social media through third party comments. Bookmark our pages below to know which pages are official.
How do I know if information is really from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office or not?
More Information and Resources
For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
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Tip Of The Week For The Week Of December 30, 2024 - New Year's Safety (Photo)
-12/26/24
NEW YEAR’S SAFETY
Among all the fun and noise of a New Year’s celebration, it’s important to ensure festivities are safe. If alcohol is involved, there should be people in attendance who are designated to stay sober and ensure safety. While laws can help prevent mishaps, people making the right choices and being respectful of each other will help keep people safe while still having fun. The responsibility and much of the liability of a safe party remains with the host. If you are hosting a party, there are safety measures you can implement to keep people safe and reduce liability during New Year celebrations.
Party Safety Tips:
- Use common sense. This includes not driving after drinking or using substances.
- Designate a non-drinking driver before the party.
- Utilize public transportation where available.
- Consider spending the night at the party location.
- If you are hosting a party, ensure that nonalcoholic drinks are also served.
- Communicate with neighbors before the party. Work together to respectfully address noise levels and other potential disturbances.
- Have the courage to refuse serving a friend a drink if they are acting strange or are intoxicated.
- Do not pressure friends to drink if they say no, have a drinking problem, or are already intoxicated.
- Consider the safety and welfare of pets. Loud music, people, and fireworks can result in distress.
- Ensure that pets have ID tags with current information on them and that they are safely secured before the party. Ensure pet licenses and microchips are updated so they can be easily reunited with you.
- Candles, fireworks, kids, and pets don’t mix. Keep them away from each other.
Use Caution When Consuming Alcohol
There can be misconceptions about different types of alcohol and their effects. For instance, beer and wine are just as intoxicating as distilled spirits. A 12-ounce can of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce wine cooler, and an ounce and a half of liquor contain nearly the same amount of alcohol.
While it is important to limit alcohol and stay hydrated, juices, sodas, and other mixers won't help dilute alcohol; they just make alcohol tastier. Alcoholic drinks using artificial sweeteners lead to a higher rate of alcohol absorption resulting in a greater blood alcohol concentration compared to drinks made with sugar-based mixers. Carbonated mixers like club soda or tonic water cause alcohol to be absorbed more quickly. Fruit juice and other sweet mixers mask the taste of alcohol and may cause people to drink more. Use caution when mixing drinks or serving sweet beverages, these can lead to accidental over-consumption of alcohol.
For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
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Media Release
-12/22/24
On December 22, 2024, at approximately 11:45 a.m., during routine meal service, Lincoln County Jail deputies discovered adult in custody (AIC) Steven Patrick Riley of Lincoln City, Oregon unresponsive.
Jail staff immediately began CPR, administered the AED and medics were called. AIC was pronounced deceased by paramedics. At the time of the incident the AIC was housed in a single cell. Jail deputies completed routine welfare checks approximately 26 minutes prior to the incident.
An autopsy to determine cause of death is scheduled.
AIC Steven Riley was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on a Lincoln County Circuit Court warrant charging Probation Violation/Fail to Appear (Recklessly Endangering and Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants) initial bail was set in the amount of $-0-.
Further inquiries can be referred to Newport Police Department as the agency handling the death investigation.
Prepared by
Jamie Russell, Lieutenant
Jail Commander
541-265-0701
jrussell@co.lincoln.or.us
Child Luring Investigations Result In Arrests
-12/20/24
In the past two weeks, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has conducted investigations related to online child luring using decoy social media accounts. During these efforts, deputies and detectives posed as underage children on various social media platforms and were approached by adult males who offered to meet for sexual encounters.
On December 12th, 40-year-old Jose Luis Sanchez-Morales from Springfield, Oregon, was arrested and charged with two counts of Luring a Minor and Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in both the first and second degrees.
On December 19th, 40-year-old Joseph Thomas Cunningham from Depoe Bay, Oregon, was also arrested and charged with two counts of Luring a Minor and Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the first and second degrees.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office urges parents to closely monitor their children’s social media activity. It is crucial for parents to discuss the potential dangers associated with communicating with strangers online. These investigations aim to reduce criminal activity and enhance the safety of our community.
We would like to thank the Oregon State Police for their assistance in these cases.
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Tip Of The Week For The Week Of December 23, 2024 - Deer And Elk Migration (Photo)
-12/19/24
DEER AND ELK WINTER MIGRATION
The Central Oregon Coast is experiencing its seasonal cold weather. Although the weather slows down our daily commute, we are not nearly as affected as wildlife, specifically elk and deer.
Natural food sources are lean in the upper elevations in the coast range during the winter as snow falls, covering the ground. This time of year with snow accumulation in the coast range and freezing temperatures periodically down to sea level, elk and deer may move to even lower elevations to find adequate food.
These additional movements often mean that the animals are crossing major roads both day and night which creates hazards to motorists. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office would like motorists and spectators to be mindful of the animal movements. If you see one deer cross in front of you, chances are there is another one behind.
Please take into account that the animals are often stressed due to additional migration in search of food. When spectating please keep a minimum distance of 100 yards from wildlife. If the animals begin to move from your presence, don’t follow them. Oregon Revised Statute 498.006 does protect the chasing or harassing of wildlife.
For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
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Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Response To Concerning Letters Circulating
-12/19/24
LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE RESPONSE TO CONCERNING LETTERS CIRCULATING
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office recently learned about a letter being circulated throughout Lincoln County which encourages community members to track and report information regarding people of color, specifically community members that are believed to be undocumented. We want to be unequivocal in our stance: this type of behavior is harmful, divisive, and inconsistent with the values we uphold as public servants and community members. Targeting individuals in this manner erodes trust and undermines the sense of safety and inclusion that we strive to maintain in Lincoln County.
One of the things we tell each person when they join our team is to “do the right thing”. We are encouraging our community members to do the right thing and use compassion as we encounter these types of messages. We strongly advise against engaging in activities such as those outlined in this letter, including collecting or sharing information about individuals based on their demographic or perceived immigration status.
In addition to valuing diversity and equity, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is committed to upholding Oregon law with regard to immigration enforcement. Oregon law generally prohibits the inquiry or collection of an individual’s immigration or citizenship status, or country of birth, with few specific exceptions as outlined in Oregon Revised Statute 181A.823. Consistent with this, the Sheriff’s Office does not inquire about, document, or share such information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These provisions are embedded in our policy manual and are essential to ensuring that our practices respect the rights and dignity of all individuals.
The mission of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is to enhance public safety, reduce the fear and impact of crime, and improve the quality of life for all. We are committed to continuous learning and growth to better serve every member of our community. Diversity strengthens our communities, and we take pride in growing and thriving alongside the people we serve.
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Tip Of The Week For The Week Of December 16, 2024 - Using GPS In Winter (Photo)
-12/12/24
USING GPS IN WINTER
Winter officially begins on December 21st and comes with an important reminder to drive with extra care. The Oregon Department of Transportation has some excellent tips to keep in mind when using GPS to navigate this winter:
Most navigation tools don't take current road or weather conditions into consideration. They may direct you onto remote roads that are neither maintained or passible in all weather conditions. Because of this, here are a few tips to consider:
What you can do:
- Be aware that the app on your phone or in your GPS device might not have the latest information. Don't follow it blindly!
- Use TripCheck.com (available online and on your phone) before you go to get the latest on state road conditions. You can also call 511.
- Remember, in winter conditions (or in summer's fire season), roads can be impassable, so use common sense.
- If you are not familiar with an area and current road conditions, stay on state roads and don't attempt detours onto roads you don't know.
- Alter your travel plans. If you are not sure of the route and conditions your device directs you to, ask local folks for information and consult a map. It is better to stay the night in town rather than be stuck on a remote road in the middle of nowhere.
What ODOT will do:
- ODOT crews work continually to keep state highways safe, but during certain conditions, such as blowing snow and freezing temperatures, you may want to avoid travel altogether.
- ODOT will issue media flash alerts if roads are closed. These will be updated continually on TripCheck.com.
For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
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Lincoln County Citizen Corps Coordinating Council (LC5) To Meet December 19th
-12/10/24
The Lincoln County Citizen Corps Coordinating Council (LC5) intends to meet on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 3:00pm via Zoom. The meeting will not be streamed live this time, but the agenda is located on the Lincoln County website here: Agendas & Minutes | Lincoln County, OR (https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/129/Agendas-Minutes)
Any members of the public who have questions or would like to attend the meeting should email lcemergencymanagement@co.lincoln.or.us to request virtual meeting information the day before meeting.
