St. Helens Police Association

04/24/2026

Please see the attached letter of support for the Columbia 911 Dispatchers Association jointly authored by supported by the St. Helens Professional Fire Fighters Association local 3215, St. Helens Police Association, Scappoose Professional Firefighters TVFF Local 1660, Clatskanie Professional Fire Fighters TVFF Local 1660

07/18/2025

We’ve been fortunate to have association members participate in various community events so far this summer. Here are some pictures from a few of those events. Thank you all for your continued support! Great things are ahead for the department!

04/03/2025

Thank you for all you do, Pati!!

April 1-7 is National Property and Evidence Professionals Appreciation Week. We’d like to take the opportunity to thank Pati Ruiz, our Records and Evidence Specialist at the St. Helens Police Department.

Our patrol officers are often in the spotlight for the work we do at the St. Helens Police Department, but it takes a team to support a successful law enforcement agency. Pati is one of the unsung heroes, making sure essential behind-the-scenes tasks get done so that our officers can do their jobs.

Her work is wide ranging. From greeting community members at the station’s front counter to performing data entry and archiving records, she is one of the administrative backbones of the police department.

When property or evidence comes into police custody, it is important that it goes through a secure process to maintain the integrity of investigations and protect the rights of property owners. Pati performs the essential task of receiving, cataloging, storing, and disposing of seized evidence and property. She maintains property and evidence record files and ensures the St. Helens Police Department complies with state, federal, and local policies, procedures, and regulations for property handling and disposal.

As one St. Helens Police Department supervisor noted, “She’s amazing, and we couldn’t do our job without her!”

Pati was hired at the St. Helens Police Department in 2020. In 2023, Pati received a service award for providing distinguished service in her job duties for assisting with reorganizing the Police Department's evidence room.

Thank you for everything that you do, Pati.

10/03/2024

We no longer have police officers working 24 hours a day. We hate that it’s got to this point. Please take the time to read the following quote and article. Everybody deserves to know the state of our police department. We are still here to keep everybody safe but our staffing is dire. As always, we appreciate all of your support through all of this.

"From my understanding, this has never happened," St. Helens Police Department Chief Brian Greenway said. "This is the first time in the history of the St. Helens Police Department that was established in the 1800s that this has ever happened (in that) we haven't had enough officers to serve our residents 24 hours a day."

The department says that officers will patrol the streets 20 hours a day, with officers assigned to on-call shifts to cover the other four hours.

09/27/2024

Great work being done on this investigation by association members. This investigation is ongoing but we are glad to have the suspect in custody.

On September 26, 2024, a Columbia County grand jury indicted Anthony Trenkler, 27, of St. Helens for three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, four counts of Attempted Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, five counts of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, and Furnishing Alcohol to a Person Under 21 Years of Age. The indictment caps a two-week investigation that was initiated after Trenkler was arrested on September 6, 2024, on charges related to a sexual abuse report received by the St. Helens Police Department. As part of the ongoing investigation, St. Helens detectives identified additional victims related to Trenkler’s work as a cheerleading coach at Vault Elite Cheer in St. Helens.

Trenkler is currently lodged at Columbia County Jail for the new charges. Investigators are seeking additional information about Trenkler and are concerned that there may be additional victims. If you have additional information related to Trenkler, the St. Helens Police Department would like to hear from you. Please contact St. Helens Detectives Edwards and Smith by calling 503-397-1521.

https://www.sthelensoregon.gov/police/page/vault-elite-cheer-coach-arrested-and-indicted-new-charges-police-seek-additional

09/09/2024

Proud of all of the work that went into this investigation! Many people have been affected by what occurred and we are proud to contribute to bringing the suspect to justice.

POLICE ARREST VAULT ELITE CHEER COACH AND SEEK ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ST. HELENS, OR – On September 6, 2024, St. Helens Police Officers arrested Anthony Trenkler, 27, of St. Helens in the 100 Block of McMichael Street, on charges related to a sexual abuse investigation. Trenkler’s arrest caps a three-week investigation which was initiated on August 13, 2024, when a report was made regarding Trenkler while he was working as a coach at Vault Elite Cheer in St. Helens.

Once the investigation was initiated, additional victims were located. On September 6, 2024, St. Helens investigators lured Trenkler to the 100 block of McMichael Street where he was taken into custody. Detectives then executed a Search Warrant and seized additional evidence. Trenkler was subsequently lodged at the Columbia County Jail for Sexual Abuse I and two counts of Attempted Sexual Abuse I.

Investigators are seeking additional information about Trenkler and are concerned that there may be additional victims. If you have additional information related to Trenkler, the St. Helens Police Department would like to hear from you. Please contact St. Helens Detectives Edwards and Smith by calling 503-397-1521.

https://www.sthelensoregon.gov/police/page/st-helens-police-arrest-vault-elite-cheer-coach-and-seek-additional-information

08/27/2024

The St. Helens Police Association wants to take this time to officially endorse Jennifer Massey for Mayor of St. Helens. The importance of this election cannot be understated and we are supremely confident that Jennifer Massey is the best choice for the job.

Please join us in supporting her campaign and doing everything we can do to maintain an effective police department and to prioritize public safety. The citizens of St. Helens deserve a safe community and that is at risk without new leadership.

Jennifer Massey is more than qualified and has a detailed plan to get the city back on track. We encourage everybody to not only read our letter of endorsement but to reach out to Jennifer Massey yourself with any questions. We are also happy to answer any questions about our endorsement.

05/25/2024

Let’s all take a minute to congratulate K-9 Jax and his handler on their first suspect capture! A lot of hard work and training has led up to this. They recently apprehended a dangerous and potentially armed suspect. We are lucky to have them both available for serious incidents like this. Well done!!

05/24/2024

Congratulations to St.Helens Officer Anderson! Today he graduated from the Oregon Police Academy Class BP 437. We look forward to having you back on the road to continue your training.

05/17/2024

We want to take a minute to thank everybody that took time out of their busy lives to show their appreciation during National Police Week. We couldn’t be more thankful to live and work in a community that is so supportive.

These pictures are of some goodies given to us by our dispatchers at Columbia 911 Communications District, Stacey Mendoza and the St. Helens School District and from staff at our local Wal-Mart. Not only did they bring treats but they delivered them in person to thank us. Many others may not have seen us this week but show their appreciation and respect throughout the year, we appreciate that more than you realize!