Page 43 - WCSO 2017 Annual Report

SPENCER NORDSTROM | Patrol Deputy JAMES ABELES | DUII Enforcement Officer of the Year

A career in law enforcement can follow many paths and When a career and a passion come together, amazing things can happen. For Deputy James Abeles,
looks different for every person. that passion is keeping our community members safe as they travel on our roads.
Deputy Abeles began his law enforcement career as a Police Officer in West Linn, Oregon from March
Last year, Deputy Spencer Nordstrom graduated from
the state police academy as a patrol deputy. Though his 2012 to April 2017. During that time, he was twice awarded the Oregon DUII Enforcement Officer of
career on patrol is just beginning, Nordstrom has been the Year and was certified as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and Standardized Field Sobriety Test
(SFST) Instructor.
involved with WCSO for nearly ten years, beginning as a
teenage volunteer with our Search and Rescue Explorer Abeles joined WCSO in April 2017. He sought a career with WCSO because of our agency’s
program. commitment to DUII enforcement, with the hope of eventually getting a special assignment working
DUII enforcement in the Traffic Safety Unit.
After serving as a marine aid for Marine Patrol and a patrol
reserve deputy, Nordstrom was selected as a full-time jail Once he completed his WCSO training, Abeles averaged 10 DUII arrests per month and took 62 DUII
deputy in 2014. drivers off the road during a six-month assignment working patrol serving the City of Cornelius.
“My passion is just keeping people safe. I feel this is a community full of people who deserve to
“All of the experiences I have had in my different roles be safe. When I track down impaired drivers, I remind them they not only can hurt themselves, but
have helped add tools to my ‘tool belt.’ One of the biggest others too. Consistent DUII enforcement will have a positive impact, and that is what I aim to do with
is the ability to talk and interact with many different types my career.”
of people within our community.”

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