Probation officer remembered as uplifting person

ROSEBURG, Ore. -- An accidental fire over the weekend took the life of Devin Inge, 42, who worked as a Parole and Probation (P&P) Officer for Douglas County. For his co-workers and members of law enforcement, it has been a tough week.

Flowers and cards have been pouring in to the P&P Office, where Inge brought so much joy and laughter.

The director of the office, Allen Boice, described the process that everyone is going through, to try to make sense of the tragedy. "Everybody is going through their own process now, to try and work through this," said Boice. "It's been difficult for everybody, and we are dealing with, really, two families here: Devin's personal, and also his work family."

For almost two decades, Devin had been helping to protect the people of Douglas County.

After two years with the Lincoln City Police Department, he moved to Roseburg in 1991, where he spent six years on patrol in Roseburg, before moving on to become a P&P Officer.

Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Dwes Hutson told KPIC News, "He has been a part of this community, and a part of law enforcement for a long time now, and so, it's been a difficult day for most of us."

Sergeant Aaron Dunbar of the Roseburg Police Department was on patrol with Devin when he first started and described him as a big kid who loved to laugh and would give you the shirt off his back.

Members of the community have not only lost a friend, but a professional who has had a way to connect with the people who needed his help.

A supervisor for the office, Keith Cordell, said, "With his background as a police officer he really knew how to contact and how to be personable with people. That's really the biggest part of a parole and probation job, because it's about relationships, and that was Devin's specialty."

Keith says it is the little things people will miss most. "No matter how bad your feeling, and low, he could call you up and the rest of your day was just improved. So, just that contact with him is what I'm going to miss."

Funeral services for Devin will be held next Tuesday, and a trust has been set up to help his family. Those donations can be made at any Umpqua Bank.