New Astoria police officer happy to serve and protect new neighborhoods

Published 4:00 pm Thursday, December 26, 2013

Today the Daily Astorian continues its holiday season series on newcomers to the North Coast

It was only in October when Cory Gerig joined the Astoria community.

And as a new officer for the Astoria Police Department, the 32-year-old is already enjoying the activities that the North Coast has to offer.

Coming from Oakridge, which is about half the size of this, I like all of the activities and stuff to do here, Gerig said. Going to the beach, being able to go to the Aquatic Center and take my daughter swimming, is a lot of fun. We didnt have those kinds of resources where we were. Growing up (in Oregon), I remember going to the forts as a kid, and now Ill be able to take my kids there.

Theres more stuff here to do family-wise than where I came from.

Gerig and his wife, Barbara, have two children, Caroline, 2, and Henry, 6 months. They moved from Oakridge, a community of 5,000 near Eugene, where Gerig was an officer for seven years.

He had previously lived in Portland, Spokane, Wash., Tillamook, and Gresham.

What weve looked at is being able to stay here long term, he said. Someplace where we can get the kids through school and not have to move around. Were still looking to sell the house in Oakridge, and once thats done, were ready to settle in here and make it home.

Service first

Gerig joined the U.S. Army after high school and was stationed in Georgia. He served four years in active duty and did a tour in Iraq. He then served four years in the Army Reserves while working in private security in the Portland area.

Then, he became an officer, hired on by Gresham Police where he served one year. Gerig was then hired by Oakridge Police, serving seven years. Meanwhile, his wife worked as a dispatcher in Eugene. When the couple became parents, work schedules for both of them offered challenges. Gerig said it was then that they decided to look for other opportunities.

With both of us working shift work it was kind of hard lining up daycare, and I had a rotating schedule in Oakridge so I didnt have the same days on and off, he said. So we wanted to get to a place where one of us could work and one of us could be a stay-at-home parent. So it worked out for us.

Becoming a police officer was something Gerig says he had always wanted to do. Dads of children he grew up with always had interesting stories and it sounded like fun. Ive always wanted to do it, he said. 

I love the variety of stuff. Its different every day, different calls. Sometimes we deal with the same things over and over again, and even though its kind of similar to what were doing, like a traffic stop, its different. Every stop is different. I also like the contact with people. Thats the part I enjoy the most.