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News Release

Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell Shares Community Letter Following Release Of Chair’s Proposed Budget For FY 2027 - 04/20/26

View this news release online. 

 

MULTNOMAH COUNTY, Ore. (MCSO) – Today, Monday, April 20, 2026, Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell released the following community letter after Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson announced her proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027.

 

“Despite the current financial realities Multnomah County faces, the vision of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office remains unchanged: Maintaining a safe and thriving community for everyone. We remain laser-focused on our mission to support all community members through exemplary public safety service.

 

A safe community requires alignment between public expectations and financial investment. I know from my 30 years of experience of living and working in this community that public safety – and the trust people have in that system – is what allows all other social and economic systems to function. When public safety is underfunded, the consequences are felt by everyone.

 

Multnomah County’s public safety system is a complex hub of local law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, public defenders, the courts, parole and probation, victim and survivor services, and juvenile services. When one part of that system is strained, the effects extend far beyond one agency and are felt systemwide. When the district attorney’s office lacks the staff to prosecute cases, or when the courts can’t hear cases, the impact is felt directly in our jails. When our social safety net fails to address the root causes of homelessness, addiction, and mental health, our deputies and police officers throughout Multnomah County become the primary responders to crisis they are not always the best-equipped to solve.

 

Recognizing how closely public safety agencies rely on one another, we need to carefully evaluate whether there is funding to maintain a reliable path forward. Each year, I work closely with the Chair to discuss how any budget cuts – or additional funding – may impact our organization. This year, the Chair requested all County departments submit a five percent reduction. In response, I chose to prioritize our core and legally required services.

 

The Chair’s proposed budget for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office maintains last year’s funded jail capacity. However, as our jail population continues to rise, it is a question of when, not if, that capacity will be insufficient to safely house those in our custody. To focus on our core obligations within our jails, we will continue to collaborate with criminal justice stakeholders as we end the Close Street pretrial program. Even with those changes, a healthy jail relies on a legal system that can work effectively. One consistent issue is the delay in moving people through the court process so that they can have their charges adjudicated and leave jail. To this end, I requested additional full-time staffing to facilitate court processes, which are often delayed due to insufficient staffing. Unfortunately, I did not receive those funds in the Chair’s proposed budget.

 

For some time, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office has explored ways to address critical backlogs in our Investigations and Civil Units, while also maintaining the gun dispossession detail, all are key to community safety and accountability. My approach for this fiscal year was to address these issues by reallocating two deputy sheriff positions from our Homeless Outreach and Programs Engagement (HOPE) Team into these roles. Based on the Chair's proposed budget this year, I made the difficult choice of eliminating the two deputy sheriff positions assigned to the HOPE Team – effectively ending the program. This decision prioritizes maintaining our legally mandated services.

 

The link between public safety and economic vitality is critical. Families and businesses rely on a system that delivers protection and accountability to thrive. By maintaining order and promoting community safety, we provide the stability required for our community to recover and move forward with confidence.

 

I recognize the difficult budget decisions ahead and respect the responsibility the Board of County Commissioners carries as they balance many competing needs.  A safe Multnomah County is a collective effort where our shared goal must be a resilient public safety service network that provides for every member of our community. Our success is built on the recognition that public safety is not the achievement of one agency but the result of functioning alignment where the success of the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Department of Community Justice, and others are viewed as a single victory for the people we serve.”  

 

 

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Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell Shares Community Letter Following Release Of Chair’s Proposed Budget For FY 2027 - 04/20/26

View this news release online. 

 

MULTNOMAH COUNTY, Ore. (MCSO) – Today, Monday, April 20, 2026, Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell released the following community letter after Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson announced her proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027.

 

“Despite the current financial realities Multnomah County faces, the vision of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office remains unchanged: Maintaining a safe and thriving community for everyone. We remain laser-focused on our mission to support all community members through exemplary public safety service.

 

A safe community requires alignment between public expectations and financial investment. I know from my 30 years of experience of living and working in this community that public safety – and the trust people have in that system – is what allows all other social and economic systems to function. When public safety is underfunded, the consequences are felt by everyone.

 

Multnomah County’s public safety system is a complex hub of local law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, public defenders, the courts, parole and probation, victim and survivor services, and juvenile services. When one part of that system is strained, the effects extend far beyond one agency and are felt systemwide. When the district attorney’s office lacks the staff to prosecute cases, or when the courts can’t hear cases, the impact is felt directly in our jails. When our social safety net fails to address the root causes of homelessness, addiction, and mental health, our deputies and police officers throughout Multnomah County become the primary responders to crisis they are not always the best-equipped to solve.

 

Recognizing how closely public safety agencies rely on one another, we need to carefully evaluate whether there is funding to maintain a reliable path forward. Each year, I work closely with the Chair to discuss how any budget cuts – or additional funding – may impact our organization. This year, the Chair requested all County departments submit a five percent reduction. In response, I chose to prioritize our core and legally required services.

 

The Chair’s proposed budget for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office maintains last year’s funded jail capacity. However, as our jail population continues to rise, it is a question of when, not if, that capacity will be insufficient to safely house those in our custody. To focus on our core obligations within our jails, we will continue to collaborate with criminal justice stakeholders as we end the Close Street pretrial program. Even with those changes, a healthy jail relies on a legal system that can work effectively. One consistent issue is the delay in moving people through the court process so that they can have their charges adjudicated and leave jail. To this end, I requested additional full-time staffing to facilitate court processes, which are often delayed due to insufficient staffing. Unfortunately, I did not receive those funds in the Chair’s proposed budget.

 

For some time, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office has explored ways to address critical backlogs in our Investigations and Civil Units, while also maintaining the gun dispossession detail, all are key to community safety and accountability. My approach for this fiscal year was to address these issues by reallocating two deputy sheriff positions from our Homeless Outreach and Programs Engagement (HOPE) Team into these roles. Based on the Chair's proposed budget this year, I made the difficult choice of eliminating the two deputy sheriff positions assigned to the HOPE Team – effectively ending the program. This decision prioritizes maintaining our legally mandated services.

 

The link between public safety and economic vitality is critical. Families and businesses rely on a system that delivers protection and accountability to thrive. By maintaining order and promoting community safety, we provide the stability required for our community to recover and move forward with confidence.

 

I recognize the difficult budget decisions ahead and respect the responsibility the Board of County Commissioners carries as they balance many competing needs.  A safe Multnomah County is a collective effort where our shared goal must be a resilient public safety service network that provides for every member of our community. Our success is built on the recognition that public safety is not the achievement of one agency but the result of functioning alignment where the success of the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Department of Community Justice, and others are viewed as a single victory for the people we serve.”  

 

 

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