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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Man killed by fallen tree Saturday Southeast Village Center inches closer to reality Reintroduction of McCloud River salmon inspires film, tribe Developers lining up for expansion Kids Unlimited Academy awarded $450,000 grant Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services 'Constant state of paranoia' Medford police arrest 7 in domestic violence sweep Community blog: Domestic Violence- "No More Silence" Emergency services Politics and Elections Fire chief has sheriff's back Phoenix council races draw a crowd — and debate Winters worn down by criticism Eagle Point might get on the bus Richardson accuses Kitzhaber of 'corruption' in final debate Education Kids Unlimited Academy awarded $450,000 grant County helps fund RCC job training SOU student says free speech issue overblown SOU interim president leads in a different direction Medford school officials consider costs of full-day kindergarten Environment Reintroduction of McCloud River salmon inspires film, tribe Rite Aid bear cub may be released into the wild in spring Rite Aid cub well, could come back to southern Oregon Neighbors smell trouble in proposal to spread waste on Sams Valley farmland Bear cub captured in Ashland pharmacy State news Nation - World Obituaries Marsha Robinson Flores Anne Johnson Gayle Myrna Glover Ronald J. Hupp Death Notices Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Victory puts Raider netters atop standings Banged-up Packers defense faces Brees Bucs' McCoy inks big contract Ace helps MacKenzie take share of the lead Beavers fall flat Varsity 541 College Sports Victory puts Raider netters atop standings Beavers fall flat OSU’s pass defense gets failing grade Dodge has big game as Raiders rout C of I Slow start by defense doesn’t foil Ducks Pro Sports Banged-up Packers defense faces Brees Bucs' McCoy inks big contract Ace helps MacKenzie take share of the lead Lillard leads Trail Blazers past Clippers 99-89 Hudson's long-awaited Series debut ends in loss Community Sports LOCAL EVENTS LOCAL RESULTS Business Latest Stories Southeast Village Center inches closer to reality Winco to build Grants Pass store Business briefs Blog: Let's Celebrate! Old-fashioned hat maker Real Estate News New I-5 interchange puts south Medford on fast lane to fast food Lithia buys Clovis dealership Rental vacancies increase Jackson County real estate sales, prices continue rebound Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford People In Business People in Business Transportation Frontier Airlines to end Eugene-Denver service Business Resource Fair has answers Erickson's Navy contract extended Lithia buys Clovis dealership Agriculture Hundreds look for work at Harry & David hiring fair Umpqua Holdings more than doubles net earnings Harry & David will hold hiring fair Thursday Ranchers offer livestock exchange 1-800-Flowers CEO: Labor shortage an issue for Harry & David Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Oct. 25 Don't bet on pot windfall for schools Granlund cartoon: New York Ebola Jim Brock: Should government legalize gay marriage? Letters to the Editor, Oct. 24 Editorials Don't bet on pot windfall for schools Our View: SOU's 'free speech zone' constitutionally questionable Our View: Kitzhaber is still the best choice Our view: Merkley-Wehby race leaves us unconvinced; Walden seems destined for permanent position Our View: Falls for sheriff, our picks for state House Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Oct. 25 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 24 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 23 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 22 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 21 Guest Opinions Don't overlook importance of Jackson County commissioners race Measure 92 misleads rather than enlightens Oregonians have a right to know what's in their food Infill is the answer to growth issues Guest Opinion: Who’s really to blame for 2014 wildfires? Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Finding My Roots Frank Talk: A little Halloween humor circa 1970 Barry Lewis: The idiot light Dr. Jeff Hersh: Controversy over breast cancer screening Dr. Murray Feingold: Choose a diet best for you Food Community blog: Quick breads take well to gluten-free ingredients Community blog: Barrel Aged and Sour Beers Ledger David Cellars has a new winemaker and big plans Community blog: There's a method to mix, match alternative grains Ashland resident's cookbook showcases gluten-free creativity Home and Garden How to live and work in a tiny home Dear Monty: Rent-back clause prevents financial disaster​ Recycle plastic at The Expo Friday and Saturday How to know when trees and shrubs need to go Dear Monty: Is your real estate agent a secret agent? Health Community blog: Finding My Roots Dr. Jeff Hersh: Controversy over breast cancer screening Dr. Murray Feingold: Choose a diet best for you Community blog: The Crowd And The Win - Better Health Joan Endyke: The importance of a healthy diet when pregnant Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements Southeast Village Center inches closer to reality Healing Arts New arrivals Southern Oregon Pride parade celebrates gay marriage ruling New Arrivals Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Puss 'N' Boots Costume Ball and Auction Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present harmonious voices, dissonant notes Beekeepers Ball is one sweet soiree Scottish music duo plays highland magic Dean Angermeier rediscovers his 'roots' Theater Review: Funny 'Lion in Winter' roars to life at Camelot Theatre Camelot presents 'The Lion in Winter' 'Carnage' is short, smart, darkly funny Music Live Music in Local Clubs Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present harmonious voices, dissonant notes Beekeepers Ball is one sweet soiree Scottish music duo plays highland magic Dean Angermeier rediscovers his 'roots' Community Events Puss 'N' Boots Costume Ball and Auction Theater's haunted house not for faint of heart Third Fridays in downtown Medford Works in progress Southern Oregon Pride Festival celebrates diversity Dining Back Porch Bar & Grill Yu's Yummy Yan's offers great take-out Agave offers tasty tacos Asian cuisine for all seasons at Misoya Bistro Spoons Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Rite Aid bear cub may be released into the wild in spring ... High winds expected Saturday ... Healing Arts ... Rite Aid bear cub may be released into the wild in spring ... High winds expected Saturday ... Healing Arts ... A FORCE OF ONE Gold Hill's community service officer is the only assigned law enforcement official in a town without a police force GOLD HILL — A recently appointed part-time community service officer is helping to reclaim what some say has become a lawless town. By Buffy Pollock MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock Posted Jun. 5, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jun 5, 2014 at 2:40 AM By Buffy Pollock Posted Jun. 5, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jun 5, 2014 at 2:40 AM If you go --> What: A community "Take Back Our Town" event. The open-house style event will give residents a chance to weigh in on issues in the city, and to discuss a citywide Neighborhood Watch effort, as well... » Read more X If you go What: A community "Take Back Our Town" event. The open-house style event will give residents a chance to weigh in on issues in the city, and to discuss a citywide Neighborhood Watch effort, as well as available classes on home and business safety. When: 6:30 tonight, Thursday, June 5 Where: Hanby Middle School » Social News GOLD HILL — A recently appointed part-time community service officer is helping to reclaim what some say has become a lawless town. Parked near the south entrance to the one-square-mile city on a recent afternoon, community service officer Gerry Conley, on contract with the city through the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, monitored a busy downtown lunch hour while rattling off a list of issues he's tackled since starting here in April. The city has been without its own law enforcement for much of the past decade — having twice disbanded its police force since 2000 — with the exception of occasional contracts for code enforcement services with neighboring agencies. Faced with issues ranging from drugs and transients to abandoned buildings and residential burglaries, Conley admits he's only one man. "They have lots of burglaries, vandalism at the sports and beach parks, lots of heroin," Conley said. "They haven't had a cop around here in about three years, and the scofflaws are doing what they want to do, and the homeless came in and invaded the place, and drugs really pumped up." Conley started his job after the City Council implemented a 20-hours-per-week contract to address code enforcement problems, including overgrown lawns and trash accumulation. But with a half-dozen vacant houses on his watch list, Conley spends much of his time keeping squatters from moving into abandoned or foreclosed buildings and communicating with sheriff's deputies on bigger issues that crop up while he's off-duty. Conley said he hopes to start on basic code-enforcement complaints soon, but so far he's been forced to deal with more immediate crime problems, and he said residents shouldn't expect a quick fix. "I think they thought they had their thumb on things more than they did until they saw some of my paperwork and realized the things they're dealing with," Conley said. "This is going to take a lack of apathy and for the community to step up. Some of these problems took years to get to this point, so we aren't going to see them go away overnight." Shirley Brooks, who runs a dental practice with her husband near downtown, said Conley's 20-hour presence has made a noticeable improvement in the "almost lawless" town where she raised her children. Brooks said years without consistent law enforcement have turned the city into a haven for criminals. Brooks told council members last month that garbage, graffiti and drug paraphernalia are regular problems for her family's dental office. "We love that little town. We raised our children in the schools there. There is an undercurrent of some lawlessness that has crept up over the years that really needs to be addressed," said Brooks, who has opposed a medical marijuana dispensary that she said would add to crime. "I think the bottom line is we need a police force again. I can't believe the difference having that sheriff there has helped with. People don't want to take a walk down the bike path now ... but since he came to town things have cleaned up a little bit. It would be amazing if we had somebody full time." Councilor Doug Reischman, a downtown business owner, said Conley had made some positive strides for the town. With community help, more change could occur, he added. Reischman, in his second term on the council, said he hoped to get business owners engaged in thwarting theft and tackling other issues in town. A community "Take Back Our Town" event is slated for 6:30 tonight at Hanby Middle School. The open-house style event will give residents a chance to weigh in on issues in the city and to discuss a citywide Neighborhood Watch effort, as well as available classes on home and business safety. "I think it's important to get the merchants involved, because we're the first responders to everything," Reischman said. "We see everything that goes on down here — theft, transients, suspicious activity — we're the ones who generally have to deal with things before anyone else gets to it. Things have gotten pretty outlandish here, so it's time to start getting everyone more involved." "What they need most is to get people to all work together to start making calls and pointing fingers," Conley said. "The big issue is that these people have gone for years without a cop, and they're a little bit afraid to point their fingers — they worry about retaliation when I'm only here so many hours a week," he said. "My big focus, when I talk to people or when I go to meetings ... I tell people, 'If you want this town back, you take it back.' It's not for the cops to do. They're who you call after the horse is already down the road. "If we can get people to really work together and not tolerate things anymore, it'll start to turn around." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. Email her at [email protected]. By Buffy Pollock MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock Posted Jun. 5, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jun 5, 2014 at 2:40 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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