On 04/13/2024, a hiker from the Newport area located human remains in a dispersed campsite just outside the city limits of Newport, OR. The hiker reported the incident to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to the area and were directed to the campsite, which was located approximately 100 yards into thick foliage from the roadway. The remains appeared to have been exposed to the environment for a prolonged period of time. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Detectives conducted a death investigation before the Lincoln County Search and Rescue Team assisted in removing the remains. The remains have been tentatively identified but will undergo advanced testing to make a final determination. No identifying information is being released at this time. No suspicious circumstances have been determined and there is no concern for community safety.

If anyone has any information relating to this incident, please call the Sheriff’s Tip Line at 541-265-0669. Reference case number 24S-06357.

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SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH AND ROOFIE AWARENESS

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and is a significant reminder that sexual assault, roofie awareness, and personal safety are important topics throughout the year. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. You can find additional statistics and resources such as “Understanding Consent”, “Safety and Prevention”, and more at www.rainn.org.

The best tip for preventing sexual assault is: don’t sexually assault someone. While this is the best way to prevent sexual assault, below are some tips to help prevent exposure to date rape drugs and predators with harmful intentions. 

There are more than fifty predatory drugs that can be used to sedate someone. These drugs, including rohypnol, ketamine, and GHB, are often known as “roofies” or “date rape drugs”. These predatory drugs relax the body and can feel similar to being drunk. As they pass through your system their effect increases. This can lead to confusion, breathing trouble, blurred vision, and memory loss. These drugs stay in the bloodstream for approximately four hours and testing for them often yields little or no evidence. This makes it very difficult to prove and even harder to prosecute. 

Below are some tips to help prevent exposure to these drugs and predators with harmful intentions. If you are drinking: 

• Be Aware of Strange Smells or Flavors. 
  If the drink is hazy or doesn’t taste like it normally should, don’t drink it. Be sure to pour it out so that no one drinks it.
• Cover Your Cup. 
  Never set down or lose sight of your drink. Hold the cup by covering it with your palm.
• Order Your Own Drinks. 
  Don’t accept any beverages from strangers or people you don’t trust. It is safer to only accept drinks directly from the bartender.
• Avoid Community Containers.

Say no to drinks made in a punch bowl or pitchers. Instead, go for a canned or bottled beverage that hasn’t been opened.

• Don’t Share Drinks with Others.
  You don’t know if your friend has kept a watchful eye on their cup. People can have very different reactions to the same drug. This means they could have ingested something harmful and not feel it’s effects yet.
• Sip Your Drink Slowly.
  Taking time to consume your beverage gives you more time to become aware of any symptoms which can indicate your drink has been altered.

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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April showers bring May flowers but scams are always in-season. Ever year Oregonians fall victim to scams from criminals disguising themselves as legitimate organizations or businesses. They are quite savvy in getting you to provide your personal information and create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly. 

One popular scam we see in Lincoln County is via phone call. Scammers pretend to be from our agency or another organization calling regarding jury duty, an outstanding warrant, etc. Then they pressure you to pay a fine or bail money, often in Bitcoin, gift cards, or other non-traditional payment forms. You should know our office will NOT ask for payment over the phone. Before you share any information with the caller, collect their name, agency, and reason for calling. Then hang up and look up the organization’s real contact information to confirm with them the call is legitimate. Save our contact information below so that you can quickly verify it is someone from our office calling. 

Protect yourself from scams: 

• Use caution, especially with those you are not familiar with.
  • When you receive unexpected contacts from people or businesses, over the phone, by mail, email, in person, or on social media, always consider the possibility that the interaction may be a scam. 
  • Remember to call or log on to the organization’s real website to verify the information you’ve been given is accurate. 
  • Verify the caller is from a legitimate organization before sharing any information. If you have trouble verifying an organization’s phone number or website, consider stopping by their office to speak with someone in person. 
     
• Protect your passwords and personal information.
  • Always use password protection.
  • Don’t share access with others.
  • Update security software and back up content regularly. 
  • Protect your Wi-Fi network with a password.
  • Avoid using public computers or Wi-Fi hotspots to access online banking or provide personal information.
     
• Ignore unfamiliar attachments or links. 
  • Don’t click on links, open attachments, attempt to unsubscribe, or call any telephone number listed in suspicious messages. 
  • Do NOT give any money, credit card info, or other personal details.
  • When in doubt, look up the organization’s website or phone number and contact them directly. 
     
• Save contact information from official organization’s ahead of time.
  • Anytime you open a bank account, work with a company, etc., save that organization’s phone number, website, and address so that you can reach out to them if you receive something suspicious or have questions about someone from their agency contacting you. 
     
• Know what an organization will and won’t ask for over the phone or through email. 
  • The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office will NOT ask you for payment over the phone. 
  • Most government agencies will not ask for sensitive information such as social security numbers, passwords, etc. over the phone. 
     
• Help friends and family learn how to spot a scam.
  • Protect others by helping them learn and follow scam prevention tips. 
  • Encourage loved ones of all ages to tell you about or otherwise report suspicious calls, texts, emails, and social media messages. Remind them to verify the person or organization sending the message before they reply back, provide information, or click on any links.
     

How to know if information is really from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office:

• It is on our official website: lincolncountysheriff.net/
• Our staff can verify the information is true. Give us a call at 541-265-4277 if you have questions about a service or need to connect with someone in our Office.
• It comes directly from our Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, NOT a third party or a comment from another Facebook user.
•  It comes from one of our other Facebook accounts: Lincoln County Animal Shelter or Lincoln County Oregon Emergency Management
   

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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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has declared April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Distracted driving is any activity that takes the driver’s attention away from driving. Cell phone use including texting, talking on the phone, or using social media are some of the activities that are the most dangerous. This is because cell phone use takes your visual, manual, cognitive, and auditory attention away from driving.

While cell phones are some of the most dangerous distractions, other activities such as eating, talking with passengers, grooming, and reading can be dangerous and deadly. According to the NHTSA, 3,522 people were killed by distracted driving in 2021. You can learn more about the dangers of distracted driving by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month” webpage. 

Use these tips to help keep your car distraction free:

• Don’t call or text while driving. Instead, pull over in a safe place to read and send texts or make a phone call.
• Establish a “co-pilot” passenger to manage your cell phone, GPS, and other distractions.
• Look up your destination ahead of time and become familiar with the area. This will help prevent the need to look at GPS while driving.
• Enjoy your meal at home, in the restaurant, or while parked safely. Eating while driving increases your risk of traffic collisions and the likelihood of choking.
• Keep pets crated or otherwise secured for safety. This will help keep your furry friend safer in the event of a crash and prevents them from crawling onto your lap or other distracting activities.
• Recruit the whole family for distraction-free driving. Teach your children the importance of keeping your attention on the road even before they can drive.
• If your children need help, pull over to help address their needs instead of reaching to the backseat while driving.
• Encourage friends and family to drive distraction-free. By speaking up, you may save their life and others on the road.

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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With the beginning of spring, many find themselves “spring cleaning” and spending more time outdoors. Spring is a great time to review a safety checklist for your home and complete a few updates that could save your life.

Smoke Alarms 

1. Smoke alarms save lives – if they are powered by a fresh battery. Test smoke alarm batteries monthly and replace the battery at least once a year. Anytime the alarm makes a "chirping" sound, replace the batteries immediately. 
    
2. Smoke alarms should be located in every bedroom and in the common areas on each floor of a home. Mount them at least 10 feet from the stove to reduce false alarms, less than 12 inches from the ceiling, and away from windows, doors, and ducts.
    
3. Smoke alarms can be interconnected wirelessly which means when one sounds, they all sound. This is a quick way to notify everyone in a home if there is a fire.
    
4. When installing or replacing smoke alarms, purchase and install new alarms. 
    
5. Practice how your family will react if smoke alarms go off and consider how that looks at different times through the day or at night. Do not forget to plan your escape from each room and include pets in the process. 
    
6. The National Fire Protection Association has additional resources on smoke alarm safety.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

1. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless gas, that can kill you. Anything that burns fuel can potentially become a source of carbon monoxide. CO detectors should be installed in a central location outside each bedroom and on every level of the home.
    
2. Similar to smoke alarms, test CO detectors’ batteries monthly and replace them at least once a year or sooner if needed. 
    
3. In order to alert the entire household at once, consider interconnecting the detectors if possible.
    
4. Make sure vents for your gas appliances (fireplace, dryer, stove, furnace, etc.) are free and clear of snow and debris.
    
5. Only use gas powered grills and generators outside and away from doors, window, or air intakes.

Household Emergency Plan

Every household needs an emergency plan, especially in the event of a natural disaster or other catastrophic event. Take time to create and review that plan with family, household members, and any neighbors that may have a part in the plan. Consider how your household will react to different emergencies, plan for evacuation routes and alternative routes, and review your emergency supplies. Remember, disasters can strike at any time. Consider what your actions will be if something happens at work, school, the grocery store, and in other areas you frequent. 

Emergency plan necessities:

1. A communications plan to outline how your family/household members will contact each another and where you will meet if you need to evacuate. 
    
2. A shelter-in-place plan. This is often necessary during events where outside air is contaminated and unsafe. Remember to prepare supplies for sealing windows, doors, and air vents with plastic sheeting.
    
3. An evacuation plan with various routes and destinations. If your household has access and functional needs, pets, livestock, or expensive equipment, plan on evacuating sooner so there is more time to safely leave the area. Before there is a disaster, research what friends, family, or hotels can accommodate your pets and livestock during an emergency.
    
4. A home and car emergency kit. Your emergency kit should include at least one gallon of water per day for each person, at least a 3-day* supply of non-perishable food, flashlight or headlamp and batteries, first aid kit, filter mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape, and medicines. *On the Oregon coast, it is recommended that households have enough supplies to be self-sufficient for at least 3-weeks. Unable to prepare 3-weeks of supplies? Some emergency supplies are still better than no emergency supplies. 
    
5. A plan and supplies for your household’s unique needs. Don’t forget to plan for special circumstances such as mobility challenges, medical conditions, allergies, and other things that impact your household’s comfort, health, and safety.

Be prepared, not scared. Visit Ready.gov for a complete list and other tips for making your family’s emergency plan.

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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QUARTERLY COFFEE WITH A DEPUTY - SILETZ

3/20/24 – Lincoln County, OR

The next Quarterly Coffee with a Deputy event with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is just around the corner. Join us on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, from 8am – 10am for a cup of coffee and a conversation at Little Chief Restaurant (located at 210 N. Gaither Street, Siletz, OR 97380). 

More about these quarterly events:
Every three months our office will partner with a local coffee shop in Lincoln County to provide a time, space, and coffee for community members to meet our team and share what’s on their minds. Coffee with a cop events are a friendly and relaxed way for communities to connect with the deputies that serve them. 

These events offer a unique opportunity for community members to directly engage with law enforcement, ask questions, voice concerns, and build positive relationships. Whether you're a regular coffee drinker or simply curious about the work of law enforcement, this is a chance to connect with deputies on a personal level, learn about each other’s experiences, and share local feedback.

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