Officers tackling local burglary wave with help of South County Task Force

Local law enforcement are attempting to crack down on those responsible for a recent rash of burglaries in the South Lewis County area.

Lewis County Sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Snaza said he is coordinating with the police departments in Toledo and Winlock to help share information and track down leads as they continue efforts begun last year to focus on property and drug crimes in South County.

"We continue to follow up on leads and we’re asking, if anyone in the community has information that can assist law enforcement, they call the Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers," he said.

Snaza has been head of the South Lewis County Task Force, formed as a coalition of police agencies last December to tackle serious offenders living in and victimizing South Lewis County. A series of high-level arrests and convictions earlier this year of those identified as major players in the drug trade, as well as the departure of offenders who did not want to be arrested as well, saw a significant drop-off in crimes reported in the area during April. However, August has seen a steady increase in local burglaries and car prowls and Snaza said this trend is not lost on investigators.

"We are very much aware of it," he said, stating there has been no link established between the rash of crimes and any related drug rings, though he said investigators are coming close to establishing if any such link exists.

In the mean time, he encourages community members to report any property crimes or suspicious activity as they are encountered, and cautions them to not approach or attempt to confront any potential suspects. Rather, call the Sheriff’s Office at (360) 740-1266 or, to leave an anonymous tip for a possible cash reward, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-748-6422.