Department History
The second largest city in Clatsop County, Oregon, Seaside is the location of the end of the Lewis and Clark Trail. Seaside was established in 1860 when the Summer House was built and was incorporated in 1899. At the time of incorporation, Seaside had a population of 191 and covered approximately 1.5 square miles. The city of West Seaside was incorporated in 1905 and the two towns merged as Seaside in 1913. Seaside now covers 5 square miles with approximately 33 miles of roads. Seaside has a year-round population of approximately 6,000. The population of Seaside swells to 50,000 or more during the major holidays or during major events.
Law enforcement in Seaside began with A.E. Miller, Constable of the Seaside Precinct in 1898. Constable Miller was followed by the assignment of Town Marshals:
- Willis Eberman in 1902
- Charles E. White 1904 to 1907
- John Utinzenger 1910
- John Mudge 1912
- G.E. Shaver 1914
- V.J. Miller 1915
In 1921, Seaside Police Department was established. The first Police Chief was E.I. McCauley. Since that time, the Seaside Police Department has been under the direction of the following Chiefs:
- Dick Brown 1936
- Harry Kemmerer 1938 to 1950
- Sid Smith 1950 to 1960
- John Yarmonchik 1962
- Ken Healea 1964 to 1973
- Ron Willis 1973-74
- John West 1974 to 1994
- Kenneth Almberg 1994 to 2005
- Robert Gross 2005 to 2014
- Dave Ham 2014 to present
The Department currently has 20 full-time officers including: Chief, Lieutenant, 3 Sergeants, Detective Sergeant, Narcotic Detective, Detective, 4 Corporals, and 6 Officers. Communications includes: Communications Manager and 8 certified dispatchers.
Seaside Police Department is a full service law enforcement agency with 24 hour patrol, communications coverage, and 9-1-1 service. Our communication center services 3 law enforcement agencies and 4 fire agencies in southern Clatsop County. The total estimated permanent population for the communities served is 14,000 and 7,000 in rural population.
A motorcycle patrol with 3 certified motor officers using 2 Harley-Davidson Road King police motorcycles operate throughout the tourist season and during the rest of the year as needed. Bicycle Patrol operates during the major tourist season which provides a faster response to calls in the center of town during times of high traffic. It also provides high visibility of law enforcement in these crowded areas. Normal temperatures range from 36 F to 50 F in January and 52 F to 70 F in July. Annual precipitation is approximately 75 inches.