Boiler Bay Beacon
Lincoln County Sheriff Adam Shanks did not ease into the job. He hit the ground running.
In his first full year as the newly elected sheriff, Shanks called on his team to get back to the basics. Follow the rules. Treat people fairly. Communicate clearly. That direct approach now anchors a new 2025-2028 strategic plan built around three goals: safer teams, stronger public trust, and proactive community safety.
The 34-page 2025 Annual Report came out earlier this month. I went through every page. It shows exactly how the sheriff’s office turned those priorities into action across Lincoln County. From storm response to shelter improvements and predator arrests, here is the year broken down.
There’s a New Sheriff in Town
Shanks took over after longtime Sheriff Curtis Landers retired following 37 years of service. In his opening message, Shanks wrote that the team spent 2025 sharpening its core operations so it would be ready for whatever came next.
The new strategic plan focuses on team safety and retention, organizational excellence, and community safety through collaboration. It is already guiding daily operations.
Emergency Management
When the Highway 229 landslide struck and December winter storms flooded roads and neighborhoods, the Emergency Management team activated the Emergency Operations Center and kept information moving to residents.
Assistant Emergency Manager Susan Trachsel secured more than $85,000 in FEMA funding to help recover from the earlier January 2024 ice storm. The division also hosted its annual Preparedness Fair in Newport, delivered wildfire safety presentations in Yachats and Toledo, completed the Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan update, and trained county staff in Incident Command.
Lincoln County Animal Shelter turned in a strong year
The team cared for nearly 380 animals with an average stay of just 10 days. In December the shelter received official no-kill recognition from Best Friends Animal Society, which opens the door to additional grants and resources.
Construction continued on the new facility on SW Dahl Avenue in Waldport. When completed, it will nearly triple dog capacity, double cat capacity, and include an on-site surgery suite so animals can be spayed or neutered faster and reach permanent homes sooner.
A local boy named Jasper added a memorable moment. On December 22 he stopped by the shelter and handed over $50 he raised selling stickers (his third donation of the year ) along with a bag of treats for the animals. Sheriff Shanks met him there to say thank you.
Patrol and Investigations
Patrol deputies responded to 23,275 calls for service across 980 square miles of unincorporated county land and the contract cities.
Detectives arrested 25 online predators who arranged meetings with underage decoys. Six of the suspects were already registered sex offenders. One case also identified a predator working as a youth sports referee.
Investigators helped break a gold-bar scam that targeted an elderly resident for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Working with the FBI, they set up a sting and arrested the courier linked to an organized crime ring.
Average response times for in-progress calls such as fights, crashes and domestic incidents ranged from about eight and a half minutes in Depoe Bay to nearly 15 minutes in parts of North County.
Other notes from the year: Depoe Bay added a second deputy to provide seven-day coverage. The marine team logged 412 hours of shore patrol and 113 hours on the water. Search and Rescue handled 16 calls, including the search for three-year-old Dane Paulsen near Siletz.
Community Programs
The office kept its focus on direct community support.
The Shop with a Cop program brought together 60 team members and partners to buy holiday gifts for 140 children. Pretrial Services provided 57 cell phones, hotel stays, tents, sleeping bags, rain gear and other essentials to people who needed them. Support Services launched online concealed handgun licensing and held school workshops on evidence and crime-scene photography.
The Peer Support team completed more than 105 hours of additional training and began regular check-ins with every new hire from day one.
Tough Goodbyes to Longtime Coast Veterans
The year also included several retirements.
Retired Sheriff Curtis Landers left after 37 years of service. Deputy Mark Ross retired after 30 years, having started as a Marine Cadet and finishing as a Corrections Deputy. Jail Counselor Dennis Buckmaster stepped away after 12 years working with adults in custody. Patrol K9 Ghost also retired.
The report recognizes each for their contributions.
Sheriff Shanks said 2025 showed the team is prepared for the challenges ahead. With the new strategic plan in place, the animal shelter expansion moving forward, and community programs continuing, the office is staying grounded in the fundamentals while addressing the needs of Lincoln County.
While this story covers some of the major highlights from the year, the full 34-page report contains far more detail than we could print here, including awards, the organizational chart, detailed statistics across all divisions, and a complete section on corrections operations.
