Category Public Safety
Firefighters battle 25 large fires in Oregon as record season blazes on
Crews are fighting three new blazes that flared up over the weekend and are focused on about six fires where evacuation orders are in place.
Oregon House Republicans target forests for wildfire reform as grass and shrubland burns
Three prominent Republicans are calling for legislative action on wildfire policy that targets scaling back forest conservation and logging restrictions.
REPORT: Salem police chased fleeing drivers far less in 2023
Police vehicular pursuit data for 2023 showed the vast majority of people leading police on car chases in Salem were men between the ages of 22 and 40. Police chases were typically initiated as a result of felony crimes, the report showed.
Polk County’s new program to keep drug users out of jail launches Sept. 1
Polk County will start a new program on Sunday focused on diverting drug users away from the justice system. With a smaller population and budget than Marion County, Polk County officials focused on tailoring the program to its communities.
UPDATED: Downtown Salem streets reopened after reported gas leak
Northeast Center Street is closed between Cottage and Winter in downtown Salem as police, firefighters and NW Natural respond to a reported gas leak.
Inmate walks away from work crew in southeast Salem
T.J. H. Bennett, 44, is serving a sentence at Santiam Correctional Institution and was part of a city work crew when he walked away Monday afternoon.
Train kills Salem man who lay down on tracks, police say
The rail line through Salem was closed for about three hours Monday evening with a train stopped on the tracks as police investigated a man's death.
Keizer man plans appeal of 3rd murder conviction
A jury convicted Peter J. Zielinski of murder in a third trial, rejecting his claims of extreme emotional disturbance.
Deputies hit Salem theft operation, recovering $500,000 in shoplifted goods
A Salem man paid pennies on the dollars for goods he bought from shoplifters and sold them quickly online, according to investigators. The Marion County Sheriff's Office said the organized theft ring is one of the largest the agency has investigated.