South Wasco County is about to get a resident deputy for the first time in a decade. Sheriff Lane Magill presented detailed reasoning for the move at Wednesday’s county commissioners meeting, including speed of response to calls from that part of the county, and described the area the deputy would cover.
Sheriff Magill told the Commissioners “The resident deputy is assigned to and will live in south Wasco County and they patrol – their primary patrol areas are areas 6 though 13. So, if you were to look at a map and you look at the top of Tygh Ridge out where Hugh Smith and those people live there at Dufur Gap Road, that’s where area 6 actually begins, and that covers all the way to five counties that it borders on the southern end of it: Clackamas County, Marion County, Jefferson County, Wheeler County and Sherman County.”
County Administrator Tyler Stone noted that the county did not take this step lightly, as it adds approximately $100,000 to the county budget and it took some time to figure out budget adjustments to make the position sustainable.
Sheriff Magill cautioned residents not to expect the new position to be ready immediately, estimating it will take about six months to recruit and train the new deputy.