Portland, Ore. (KOIN) — It’s a tough mission ahead for Multnomah County’s new sheriff, tackling record-high gun violence and lower trust in law enforcement.
Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell was sworn in this month to lead the agency after the election last fall.
Several times, she has preached about being more present in the community whether that’s going to community or neighborhood association meetings or opening up the sheriff’s office’s policy and procedures to public comment.
Morrisey O’Donnel has been in law enforcement for 26 years, starting as a deputy in the department.
Morrissey O’Donnell is the first woman to become sheriff in Multnomah County. She hopes her role can show the next generation what is possible to achieve in law enforcement.
“When you see people in different positions you may not have thought that is something you can attain, seeing someone in those positions really helps that,” Morrisey O’Donnell said. “I’m really looking forward to doing that mentorship and being a role model for the next generation of girls and women looking into public safety or any other profession.”
Coming into office as Multnomah County faces record-breaking homicides each of the last three years, Morrisey O’Donnell said she is looking to be more present in the office’s prevention strategies.
KOIN 6 asked Morrisey O’Donnell what prevention would look like in her office.
“I think that looks like connecting with community-based organizations and neighborhoods and really talking about what we’re seeing in the community and how do we build that bridge,” Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell said. “It may not be a public safety resource, it may not be a public safety resource for youth, we may be a supplement to a community group who is really breaking down those barriers.”
Morrisey O’Donnell recognizes there is trust to be rebuilt in law enforcement. She said she will start with outreach and she said it starts with listening.
“I want to learn from community of how we can do a better job of providing better services for each community that we serve,” she said “Every community has unique needs and breaking down those barriers between law enforcement and community is really important to me.”
KOIN also asked her about rebuilding trust in the community, she said that it starts with transparency and accountability.
“Transparency and accountability. Zero tolerance for people who are not following policies or procedures and to ensure we are holding them accountable to the best service for our community,” she said.
Morrisey O’Donnell said she wants to expand mental health and addictions specialists in the department.
She is bringing back a specialist to the correction team, looking to add one for the homeless outreach team and has looked at Portland Street Response and Eugene’s CAHOOTS non-armed first responders as something for the county.
“There’s opportunities there to grow those programs what we see how those models work and where are the successes and gaps and fill those and use those models across the organization.”
KOIN 6 asked the sheriff if she will release the names of deputies involved in officer-involved shootings and she said the office will when they can.