Astoria Police officers protect and serve every hour of every day, everywhere in the city of Astoria except the local post office.

That is, until now.

A two-year expiration of their special deputy status was reinstated by the U.S. Marshal for the district of Oregon Wednesday. Astoria Police officers now have authority within the Astoria Post Office, with each officer deputized as a Special Deputy United States Marshal.

For us, this takes care of the problem that exists in that we had an area in our jurisdiction that we had absolutely no ability to respond to, said Astoria Deputy Police Chief Brad Johnston.

Johnston noted that the police had one particular block where they had no authority to help Astoria residents or visitors. So this cleans up this issue, he said.

It doesnt fix this issue, though, Johnston added. The issue still remains that its an enclave, and as a result of that, any prosecutions have to happen by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Portland. It has to be tried in U.S. District Court in Portland. So it kind of just moves the ball a little bit. But it doesnt fix it.

The only way to fix the issue is to resolve the enclave, but there is no interest in doing that, he said.

One of few

The Astoria Post Office was established in 1847. It was the first west of the Rocky Mountains and is considered a federal enclave, one of approximately 200 in the United States. The unique designation does not allow for local authorities to enforce state laws, Marshal Russ Burger said. But the federal status had previously been overlooked, until a transient man brought it to light nearly 20 years ago.

The man challenged his criminal trespass arrests, proving that state law did not allow for local police and the district attorneys office to charge and prosecute him. As a result, Astoria Police were then given special deputy status. But in 2011, their status was not renewed. The U.S. Postal Service in Washington, D.C. claimed the local police didnt meet federal firearm standards, Burger said.

They qualify at the state of Oregon standard, so that didnt make a lot of sense because theyre able to enforce the law in Oregon, just like any other police agency, except this one little piece of property, because a federal agency is saying, You dont meet our standards, Burger said.

Since that time, the only people with jurisdiction within a federal enclave were federal government agents. So, unless it was a life and death situation, the local police could not respond. Frequent calls to Astoria Dispatch from the post office have to do with trespassing transients, Johnston said.

Welcomed

This is huge for us, said United States Postal Inspector Dennis Fernald. As U.S. Postal inspectors, without their assistance, we have had to respond to any incidents over at the Astoria Post Office because its one of a very few facilities owned by Postal Service that is a federal enclave.

So this is a great partnership with the Astoria Post Office, and were very pleased for both the post office and the assistance of the U.S. Marshals, Fernald said.

This is a huge benefit for us, as well, Burger added. Because were based in Portland for the district of Oregon, we have offices in Eugene and Medford as well, so if we have to respond over here in case the postmasters not available, its a long ways to get here, and it takes a long time.

This gives the ability to have somebody respond immediately, and it makes sense because its within this jurisdiction, he said.

Police Chief Pete Curzon said both Burger and Fernald have worked hard to get the Astoria Police status reinstated. Then, Curzon and the rest of his officers raised their right hands and took the oath.

Curzon and Johnston thanked U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Sen. Wydens state director, Lisa Rockower; U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore.; and Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis.