Brewster hires new police department chief

BREWSTER – City Council members approved Omak Police detective Marcos Ruiz as the city’s new police chief during their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Ruiz, who served with the Brewster department for 14 years prior to accepting a position at Omak is expected to be ready to assume his new position in about 30 days.
Officer Adam Nichols has been serving as interim chief since the resignation of Nattalie Cariker on August 31. Cariker accepted a position as an investigator with the Department of Social and Health Services in Omak.
Brewster Chamber of Commerce president Anna Marie Dalbey addressed the council concerning recent calls she has received from citizens complaining of individuals loitering around homes, the Columbia Cove and eating out of garbage cans at McDonalds. Dalbey said she was asked what the city ordinances and laws are that apply to vagrancy.
Council member Manny Hurtado said he heard from the same people and discovered that the incident in question occurred outside Brewster city limits and was therefore the jurisdiction of the county sheriff.
Mayor Art Smyth said city officials are aware of the few individuals in town who are homeless but refuse to accept offered assistance or services.
“I myself am around town constantly looking at things,” said Smyth. “If I had noticed these problems, people would have already heard about it.”
City clerk/treasurer Misty Ruiz reminded the council that it is not illegal to be homeless.
Dalbey said that she has not seen the problem herself but felt that because of the calls she received, felt compelled to bring the issue to the attention of council members.
City legal counsel Chuck Zimmerman said he has never heard a concern expressed from the mayor or council members regarding a vagrancy problem existing in Brewster.
Interim chief Nichols said there are a couple of homeless people around town who have declined offered help.
“We don’t allow them to spend the night in the park; we don’t allow them to do what you see in the big cities, but they’re always there,” said Nichols. “The best thing I can tell you is to have those people call us right away because that’s something we need to know.”
Asked about a growing drug use problem, Nichols said that is a nationwide reality “and we have our fair share in Brewster,” but added he has not noticed a marked increase in activity here.