Police and medical call loads were high through Oregon Jamboree weekend this year but nothing out of the ordinary, officials said.
Police didn’t pull case numbers on everything they handled, Police Chief Bob Burford said. Total, they had 177 traffic citations, arrested 35 and generated 196 case numbers.
On a usual weekend, the department generates around 75 case numbers, he said.
Sweet Home Police had assistance on the streets from Lebanon Police Department, Albany Police Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police.
“Though the heat made tempers short, it also sapped a lot of energy out of the people,” Burford said. “we may have fewer alcohol-related disturbances than usual.”
The department had a stricter detox policy for those they found were a danger to themselves or others, he said. Officers located one man passed out on the railroad track.
The Last Frontier and Chewey’s both had outdoor events following the concerts.
“Both of the bars were working under a fairly strict set of guidelines and rules they agreed to,” Burford said. “We believe, as a result, problems were few and minor.”
The department has received after-the-fact reports that one of the bars may have violated an after-hours permit for amplification, and it is reviewing the complaints.
“Overall, it was busy, but no citizen got seriously hurt, and no officer got seriously hurt,” Burford said.
Sweet Home medics were busy outside the Jamboree grounds, Battalion Chief Guy Smith said. They had 20 medical calls on Saturday and 19 on Sunday. On Friday, they responded to eight medical calls, closer to a normal day. Many of those calls were tied to the Jamboree at campgrounds and locations outside the event, Smith said.
Inside the event, medics had 10 heat-related medical calls on Friday and 11 on Saturday, Smith said. He didn’t have a number for Sunday. Medics also had two calls for sprained ankles on Saturday.
The heat-related calls were similar to what the department has had over the years, but other types of calls were lower, he said. “Usually, we have more bee stings and other things.”
Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District had three fire calls, including a smoke investigation and a small grass fire off 50th Avenue, Smith said. The fire mostly went out on its own, and all that was left was mop-up. The Oregon Department of Forestry handled the fire. The department also had a fire alarm at Sweet Home Junior High, but the call was canceled.