CUSTER COUNTY, NE – Custer County Sheriff Dan Osmond spoke with KCNI/KBBN News on Wednesday about current public concerns, how the public can help, and general summer safety tips.
In a social media post Wednesday morning, the Sheriff’s Office stated they had received reports of an older white van with tinted windows trying to get passing vehicles to stop. The reports site the Victoria Springs area as the location of the incident reports. Those who witness similar suspicious activity are encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office.
When asked about when and how to call and what will be asked for, Osmond said it all starts with just feeling like something isn’t right. If you call 911 immediately, tracking technology can help identify where you are if you aren’t positive. If it’s not safe to call, gather as much information as you can and call later.
“The main thing is if you have that feeling, you know, if something just seems off, don’t stop for them. Don’t stop for someone trying to wave you down or trying to get your attention. If you don’t know them and it seems odd to you just don’t stop, keep on moving. The information that’s going to be helpful for us is a plate number or at least the state of the plate. Because that way we can get the information that we need about that specific vehicle.”
He added that not being able to read a full plate number quickly is normal, and that partial numbers are helpful as well. Other plate identifiers are the state they belong to, or even colors. Identifying factors such as what the driver looked like or was wearing, striping or designs on the vehicle, damage, or other items about the vehicle that make it stand out among similar-looking vehicles are of help as well.
A helpful tip Osmond added was to practice, encouraging looking at the cars and landscape around you when you’re just doing everyday driving. Ask yourself questions like, ‘If I were to report that vehicle right there, what would be an identifying feature of it that would set it apart from others?’.
Bike safety was another topic of importance for the Sheriff, who stated the reminder that kids on bikes in the summer and staying safe is just as much the responsibility of the rider as well as vehicles around them.
“Watching out for traffic and then the traffic itself. You just need to take your time, slow up a little bit, and watch when you’re getting to an intersection and just watch for the kids on the bikes or coming across the roadway or something like that. Everybody just needs to be a little more defensive and watch out for them.”
Osmond added that Custer County lags a little bit behind the Nebraska average for seatbelt use and that drivers need to remember that an accident can happen anywhere.
“I think we get just a little bit too comfortable and forget that accidents can happen right next to the house or 100 miles from the house and that seatbelt can make a difference.”
In summary, the Sheriff said that driving safety comes down to one thing: attentiveness.
“It just boils down to ‘pay attention to what you’re doing’. If you’re driving, that should be your sole responsibility at that point in time: paying attention to what you’re doing while you’re driving. Obviously we have a lot of issues with distracted driving and that’s what a lot of the problems can come from.”
Our full interview with Sheriff Osmond can be heard here:
