 |
Room tax makes the ballot
Making history, the law, interesting and relevant
| A
new chief walking the Dundee beat |
Dan Hess is hired as
the new Dundee
police chief; a full-time officer will be
cut from the police force due to budget constraints |
By Amy Grennell, Newberg
Graphic Reporter
Email Amy at agrennell@eaglenewspapers.com
|
 There’s a new chief
in town. Dundee’s police chief Dan Hess officially started work Friday.
Hess takes over for retired Dundee Police Chief Pete Peterson who left last
winter due to illness. A Newberg resident, Hess was a sheriff’s deputy with the
Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office for two years working in court services.
“There were 19 applicants for the position and we are really pleased
with Dan Hess as a candidate and (he) seems like a good fit,” said Eve Foote, Dundee
city administrator.
Hess said the city was looking for someone with maturity and experience to
become its next police chief and be a source of learning for the other officers.
Dundee currently has three full-time officers and three volunteer reserve
officers. Due to budget constraints, a full-time officer will have to be eliminated by
Oct. 1.
It was county budgeting issues that made Hess a little apprehensive about the
unpredictability of his job. He applied for a chief of police position in Amity, coming in
a close second, before being selected by Dundee.
Before his recent stint at the Sheriff’s Office, Hess started as a
college student at Boise State University taking criminal justice courses. He was then a
police officer working in a variety of positions, including as a patrol sergeant and a
crisis negotiator in Boise for 20 years. His family moved to Newberg to be closer to his
daughter, who was attending George Fox University.
Hess has a distinct style of policing, which he said he will bring to Dundee.
“I’m firm but fair,” he said. “You like to be proactive
and get things done with courtesy and be friendly. And I believe in preserving
people’s rights.”
Despite Dundee’s small size, Hess said he wants Dundee’s officers
to maintain a strong presence. He will also be out on patrol in addition to his
administrative duties.
“I really enjoy that and the contact with people on the street,” he
said. “I like getting information from them.”
He said he also enjoys getting residents involved through various community
meetings, as well, and hopes to get more advanced training for the officers so they will
be prepared for whatever scenario they are faced with. |
|
From Aug. 6,
2003, Newberg Graphic
Click Here to Subscribe |
|
|
