Deputy Frank Ward (left) and Deputy Ryan Pope, right, pose in front of the Banks city sign on Highway 6. “Masks were removed for this photo as it was taken outside with appropriate social distancing,” the original caption read. Photo: WCSO
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has launched a Facebook page for their operations in the city of Banks.
The agency provides law enforcement services in the city under a contract between the city and the Sheriff’s Office.
That contract was expanded to include two — up from one — deputies to be stationed in Banks after a city council vote was held in June, and it is those two deputies that will primarily be updating the new Facebook page, according to Washington County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deputy Brian van Kleef. They will be assisted by public information officers such as van Kleef and others in the sheriff’s office social media team.
Deputy Frank Ward has been working in Banks off and on since 2010, and returned to his duties in the city this year after recovering from a collision near North Plains, while Deputy Ryan Pope began working in Banks earlier in 2020.
“We wanted to have a platform for our team in Banks to offer really community-specific information, such as road closures or scams that are affecting the Banks area,” van Kleef told the Banks Post in an email, adding that residents should not use the new page to report crimes or emergencies.
“Facebook is not a place to report crimes or emergencies. People should continue to call 9-1-1 or the non-emergency number for police services,” he said.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line can be reached at 503 629-0111.
The page joins three other city police pages that are also served by the county under similar agreements, with Gaston, North Plains, and Cornelius all having existing Facebook pages for their county-provided police services.
