Othello Police Department

05/12/2026

Our Swing/Night Shift officers remained busy and proactive throughout the Mother’s Day weekend, making five separate DUI arrests. One of the incidents involved a collision in which a vehicle crashed into a building. The vehicle was impounded as evidence, and a subsequent search resulted in the seizure of narcotics.

These incidents serve as an important reminder of the dangers and consequences of impaired driving. If you plan to drink, please make responsible arrangements ahead of time by using a designated driver, or other safe transportation options.

05/10/2026

As we recognize National Police Week, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to every member of the Othello Police Department and to law enforcement officers across this nation.

This profession is more than a job it is a calling to serve others, often at the expense of personal comfort, time with family, and sometimes even personal safety. Every day, officers step into difficult situations, make tough decisions, and carry burdens most people never see, all in an effort to protect and serve their communities.

Here at OPD, I continue to be proud of the professionalism, resilience, and heart our officers and staff demonstrate every single day. Even during times of challenge and change, this department continues to stand strong because of the quality of the people who serve here.

During this week, we also pause to honor and remember the brave officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Their courage, service, and commitment will never be forgotten.

Thank you to everyone at the Othello Police Department and to the families who stand behind and support them every day. Your sacrifice, dedication, and commitment to this community do not go unnoticed.

Assistant Chief Brent McFarlane

05/10/2026

To all the beautiful & hardworking mothers in our Community we wish you a Happy Mothers Day! May today be filled of so much love.

05/01/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness month and Adams County Integrated Health Care Services is hosting an event on May 6th, Wellness on the Lot. Make sure you stop by!

04/30/2026

The Othello Police Department proudly recognizes and congratulates Chief Aaron Garza on an outstanding career spanning more than two decades of dedicated service. Throughout his time with the department, Chief Garza has demonstrated unwavering pride in and commitment to this agency and the community it serves.

Chief Garza has decided to accept a new position and will be leaving our agency. He won’t be going too far though, in fact, he will still be in the same building and will still be serving this city he cares so much for. Chief Garza has accepted the position of City Administrator and is looking forward to continuing to serve Othello in this new capacity.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Chief Garza for his many years of service and wish him continued success in this new and important role.

04/29/2026

It's BlueBridge Alliance's 6th birthday! They are the nonprofit partner that provides the technology and administrative support to make our local program possible.
A board member is matching all donations up to $10,000 until April 30th!

If you can support the BlueBridge Headquarters team so they can continue to support agencies like ours, please consider a gift to their birthday match!

Donate to the HQ Match here: https://givebutter.com/bluebridge-alliance-birthday"

$10.00 becomes $20.00. $100.00 becomes $200.00.

Happy 6th Birthday to BlueBridge Alliance! For six years, we’ve been the "silent partner" helping police officers provide immediate relief—like gas, meals, and medical aid—to neighbors in crisis.

To celebrate, we are launching a 10-day sprint to raise $10,000. Because of a generous matching fund from one of our board members, your gift will be INSTANTLY DOUBLED if you donate by April 30th!

Our team works quietly in the background, providing the program structure, technology, and administrative support that keeps these programs running. If you have the ability to give, you’ll be doing more than just donating; you’ll be doubling the foundation of support that allows officers to provide food, gas, and shelter to those in need.

Will you help us turn $10k into $20k?
Give here: https://givebutter.com/bluebridge-alliance-birthday

04/12/2026

This week is National Public Safety Communicators Week, let’s take a moment to recognize the incredible dispatchers who keep our officers, firemen, EMS and citizens safe.

While most people never see them, dispatchers are the calm, steady voices in the chaos. They’re the first ones to answer the call when seconds matter most, gathering critical details, coordinating resources and guiding help exactly where it’s needed. They balance multiple emergencies at once, all while keeping their cool and showing kindness to people on what might be the worst day of their lives. Their quick thinking have saved lives and have been the difference when seconds matter.

To the dispatchers of the Othello Police Department, we say thank you! Thank you for your dedication, your resilience, your skill and commitment to public safety for our city and citizens.

This week we honor:

Dispatcher Abe Gomez
Dispatcher Maria Montalvo
Dispatcher Valarie Lolkus
Dispatcher Danelle DeBeeld
Dispatcher Monica Ocampo
Dispatcher John Olson
Dispatcher Patty Hernandez
Dispatcher Jesus Garza

Happy Telecommunications week!!

04/07/2026

On April 1st, 2026, the Othello Police Department, in an effort to combat human s*x trafficking in our region, conducted a 2-day operation targeting the supply and demand for commercial s*x.

During the multiday investigation, 7 men were arrested for Patronizing a Pr******te (RCW 9A.88.110) after attempting to pay women for s*xual acts.

Those arrested were:
Eduardo Ortega-Cruz (35) of Royal City
Andriy G. Opalko (36) of Moses Lake
Stephen E. Eilers (49) of Royal City
Roberto Martinez-Gonzalez (32) of Ephrata
Leandro Daniel Carillo (42) of Moses Lake
John Douglas Peterson (58) of Kennewick
Denis Y. Kutsiy (44) of Pasco

All of the men arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Additionally, detectives contacted 3 women engaging in illicit commercial s*x. The women ranged in age from 34-43 years old and traveled from Kennewick and Pasco. All 3 women were detained, interviewed, and were referred to Mirror Ministries for aid and resources to help them find alternatives to the dark underworld of the commercial s*x lifestyle. One of the women was arrested for an outstanding warrant and transported to jail, she was not arrested for prostitution related offenses.

During the course of the operation, investigators developed leads on a potential human s*x trafficker, identified a potential drug trafficker, and obtained information pertaining to a recent robbery.

All these leads will be followed and the information will be referred to the proper police agencies for further investigation.

Although 10 people were contacted during this operation, the Othello Police Department observed positive signs that these operations are successful in deterring people from engaging in illicit commercial s*x crimes in Othello. Many potential s*x buyers and commercial s*x workers were open about not risking engaging in criminal commercial s*x activity in Othello due to their knowledge that the Othello Police Department periodically conducts these proactive investigations.

Operations of this nature could not be possible without strong regional partnerships with outside agencies and advocacy groups.

The Othello Police Department would like to thank the Warden Police Department, Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, Washougal Police Department, Mirror Ministries, and This Mission for their assistance in this operation.

If you have information on human trafficking or suspect someone you know may be a victim, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “INFO” to 233733. You can also contact the Othello Police Department at 509-488-3314.

04/05/2026

The Othello Police Department wishes everyone a fun, joyful, and safe Easter!

04/01/2026

This was so fun thank you for inviting us to participate, Chief Garza had a great time being the golden egg holder!

Big THANK YOU to the Othello Police Department and Chief for letting Krazy Kravings host part of our Easter Egg Hunt! 🐣🚓
We appreciate your support in helping us bring fun, smiles, and a little excitement to our community. Events like this wouldn’t be possible without amazing people willing to come together for something positive!
Thank you for all you do! 💙