Warden PD chief outlines best ways to get quick response
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 weeks, 5 days AGO
Warden Police Chief Jeff Gann said the quickest way to get law enforcement response is to contact the county’s communications center rather than individual agencies.
NANCE BESTON/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | August 10, 2026 1:10 AM
WARDEN — The Warden Police Department is advising residents that the best way to ensure the quickest response is through the lines at the Multi-Agency Communications Center, also known as MACC.
Warden PD Chief Jeff Gann said there has been an increase in the number of people calling WPD directly when they need a police officer.
“My guess would be that it’s local people who think it would be faster than MACC,” Gann said.
However, it’s usually not any quicker, he said, since it depends on somebody being in the WPD office. In addition, talking to someone in the WPD office doesn’t guarantee a faster response, he said.
In fact, said WPD Records Specialist Alexa Martinez, if a Warden resident is requesting a response from an officer, MACC is usually the fastest option.
Gann recommended using MACC’s non-emergency line when possible.
“If it’s an emergency, it should be a 911 call,” he said.
People should know emergencies are not only crimes in progress, he said, citing the example of Warden residents coming home to discover a break-in at their house or apartment.
“That would absolutely be a 911 call,” he said, since the burglar may still be inside.
People who call the WPD office have the option to be transferred to MACC, and Gann said that’s his recommendation for the fastest response.
“I don’t want (calling the WPD office) to be the default for people,” he said.
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