By Scott Unger • Of the News-Register • 

Local law enforcement participates in national family violence sweep

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office organized the first sweep 21 years ago and continues to lead the effort, which sees agencies join forces to locate individuals with family violence warrants and follow-up on no-contact orders.

Locally, eight arrests were made in the Oct. 16 sweep.

“Ensuring that offenders know that we do take these matters seriously, even if they are in full compliance, emphasizes all the other efforts to address family violence within the community,” said Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott.

The Sheriff’s Office partnered with officers from the Newberg-Dundee, McMinnville and Yamhill police departments, along with representatives from the Yamhill County District Attorney’s Office and Crime Victim Advocates Office. The group conducted 38 follow-ups on no-contact orders (frequently issued to perpetrators of domestic violence) and attempted three warrants, along with the arrests.

Elliott told the News-Register the sweep has many benefits for officers and members of the public.

“The joint effort is a way to maximize our effectiveness and our efficiency, to check on many addresses and individuals within a short period of time. We can set up teams by region to cover all cities and parts of the rural county,” Elliott said.

The sweep illustrates that law enforcement takes family violence and associated orders issued by the court seriously, Elliott said.

“The safety of direct victims and their families is one of the primary concerns, with the additional benefits of increased safety to the community by holding accountable offenders whose actions can impact neighbors, relatives, and the larger community,” he said.

“Even when we find an offender in full compliance, doing everything they are supposed to do, it reinforces the importance of their continued compliance.”

Adding non-law enforcement resources to the sweeps gives officers the capacity to address any situation they come across immediately, according to Elliott.

“Deputy (district attorneys) can give advice on search and seizure questions and be an instant resource should additional tools such as search warrants be needed. Advocates can meet with victims right at the scene, either to continue already established relationships, or to aid if there are new or additional incidents of family violence that have occurred. Parole (and) probation officers can check in with clients, and ensure compliance with the terms of their supervision, including no-contact provisions as a condition of supervision,” he explained. “It’s a holistic approach to addressing the complex aspects of family abuse.”


Follow-ups on no-contact orders are also routinely done by YCSO deputies outside of the sweep, as often they know the offenders and where they live. They can also be assisted by court and jail monitoring or relatives and neighbors, according to Elliott.

“The court security and corrections staff also follow up when it relates to individuals in custody, who may be making phone calls to individuals they aren’t supposed to have contact with and can block those numbers from the phone system, or scan for incoming/outgoing mail which could be a violation,” he said.

“We will receive reports from the community or family members who are concerned about potential violations of protective or no-contact orders and follow up with them on a case-by-case basis.”

This year’s sweep involved 127 agencies across 15 states. In the 20 years of the sweep, there have been over 17,600 arrests, according to the CCSO.

A total of 34 personnel from Yamhill County agencies participated in this year’s sweep, which saw a slight uptick in action from last year’s five arrests and 30 no-contact checks.

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