Recent Redmond incidents spark concern
The NewsChannel 21 Facebook page has been littered with comments and posts about the recent crimes and other tragic incidents that have taken place in Redmond.
From two death investigations a month ago to an armed robbery, standoff and arrests just six days ago, and now most recently, police believe up to about a dozen shots were fired in the southwest area Friday night, near the Umatilla Sports Complex. Two of them hit nearby homes, though no injuries were reported.
All of this has many citizens asking: Is there something wrong with Central Oregon’s hub?
“Just in the last week or so, it’s a little terrifying around here,” said Crystal Lillegard, a Redmond resident.
“Maybe in the evening, when it’s really really dark, but you’re going to find that anywhere,” said Linda Holmes, another Redmond citizen. “So no, we’re very comfortable being here.”
You could ask 10 people in Redmond and possibly get 10 different responses about the recent crime activity.
When we asked Mayor George Endicott on Sunday, he said he wasn’t concerned.
“They are anomalies,” Endicott said. “I don’t know what I can say to relieve people’s anxiety. You know, they happen everywhere in the country unfortunately.”
Some would argue Redmond is one of those places where they hoped this wouldn’t be a problem.
“We moved over from the Valley not too terribly long ago, and we always thought Redmond would be relatively quiet,” Lillegard said.
Police Chief Dave Tarbet countered that Redmond isn’t any different, and that crime knows no such boundaries.
“I’ve been in law enforcement for nearly 30 years, and I’ve seen some crazy things,” he told NewsChannel 21 Sunday. “And sometimes you just get a bundle of things that happen around the same time frame and I don’t really have an explanation for that, and I don’t think there’s any experts that can, either.”
As the mother of a young child, Lillegard said she wishes the police would keep the public informed.
“It would have been nice to have a little bit more information, being on such close proximity,” Lillegard said.
For the most recent crime, information has been hard to come by.
“Anybody that knows anything, please, contact our police department,” Endicott said. “Let them know, so we can try and run this around and try and figure out what’s gone on with this latest incident.”
Police say they’re looking for a red car with a loud exhaust that was seen leaving the area around 8:25 p.m. Friday. If you have any information, call Deschutes County dispatch at (541) 693-6911.
