|
|
|
MCSO eNewsletter
Your 24/7 Human Services
and Public Safety Agency
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010 |
|
Letter from the Sheriff
Sheriff Daniel Staton
The unincorporated
locations of Multnomah County are considered by many to be "Portland's
Playground."
These
locations are characterized by old-growth forests, terrific wildlife viewing,
and beautiful winding roads that follow along the Willamette, Columbia, and Sandy
Rivers, all located within a stone's throw from the city. These recreational areas attract an ever-expanding
number of visitors each year.
Due to its
geological history, topography, and geographic location, the Columbia River Gorge
is often referred to as "wild and scenic." Ask our patrol deputies and they
will most definitely refer to these locations as, at times, "wild" and the term
"scenic" applies year round, but particularly during the long, warm days of
summer. During this time, the increase in cars, bicycles, boats, and pedestrians
seeking to enjoy the area has a significant impact, creating parking problems,
traffic hazards, and nuisance concerns for residents and visitors.
The numerous
outdoor activities generated during the summer months have a considerable
impact on our corrections and support functions. Inmate populations increase along with all
necessary processing, care, and related custody issues, which creates enhanced
safety concerns for staff as well as the need for heightened oversight
and more administrative support.
I want to
take this opportunity to thank all of you for your steady and exemplary work
during this time of year. I appreciate your
flexibility in support of operations and for supervisors in balancing leave
requests and managing operations effectively and efficiently. I appreciate your service at the Office, but
want you to know that I value your ability to spend quality time away from the
Office to ensure you maintain a healthy and happy family.
Have a great
remainder of the summer and thanks again for your dedicated service.
Sheriff Dan
Staton
|
Using Kayaks Instead
of Motor Boats
Deputy McDowell uses his kayak to talk to boaters on the Columbia River.
Don't be alarmed if you happen to see a few River Patrol deputies out on the
water in kayaks this summer! Some deputies are finding it useful to use kayaks
instead of their traditional patrol boats to make contact with the boating and
beach going public. Kayaks are much more practical than motorized boats
when it comes to dealing with water depth, stealth abilities and reducing our
carbon footprint. On 08-16-10 three deputies in kayaks rescued a man in
his kayak when he was unable to "right" his craft after he had flipped
over.
MCSO would like to remind all persons who use the waterways
to be safe and to take precautions before you head out. Make sure you
take all of the required safety equipment aboard your watercraft, and
familiarize yourself on how to navigate the waterways in a safe manner. A
good resource comes from our partners at the Oregon State Marine Board, visit boatoregon.com for
more water safety information.
Written by Deputy Ron Osborn
|
Big Job!
 160,000 square feet of roof will be covered with new reflective material.
MCIJ
is in the process of getting a bit of a makeover. In addition to a complete external face lift, which will include crack repairs, pressure washing and new paint,
MCIJ will also receive a brand new roof. The entire project will take five contractors at least three months to cover the 160,000 square feet of rooftop with 480,000 pounds of gravel, as well as repair cracks, leaks and ducts. The new roof, its first in over 15 years, will be made of a "green" reflective roofing gravel which will lower heat and air conditioning costs.
 Vacuuming old gravel from roof to repair cracks and leaks. |
Have you taken the OATH yet? Do it HERE.
|
Varro Does It Again!
The sixth annual K-9 Trials put on by the Washington
County Sheriff's Office provided a spectacular exhibition of the skills
required of both the dogs and their handlers on Saturday, August 7. Multnomah
County Sheriff's Deputy Todd Weber and K-9 Deputy Varro competed in all six
events, taking a bronze medal in the Agility Course, a silver medal in
Redirected Suspect Apprehension, and a gold medal in Vehicle (Suspect)
Extraction. Afterward the crowd emptied from the grandstand onto the football
field beside Century High School in Hillsboro as children and adults visited
with the dogs and their handlers. Everyone commented on the friendliness of the
dogs once they were off-duty, standing or sitting as numerous well-wishers
walked up to pat them or rub their ears.
Written by Lynette Hanson
|
Sign Up For 2010 Citizen Academy Now!
Academy
Schedule:
Wednesdays,
7pm - 9pm, Wood Village City Hall
The FREE academy begins September 8th, 2010
and graduation is November 17th, 2010.
Applications
available online here or at the Wood Village City Hall
during regular business hours.
For more information Click HERE
|
NEWLY
FORMED CITIZEN PATROL
HELPING
DEPUTIES DETER CRIME IN THE GORGE
Citizen Patrol working with the public to keep the Gorge safer.
On
8/10/10, the newly formed MCSO Citizen Patrol and other Corbett citizens,
assisted deputies in locating a suspect that fled a car accident after crashing
the stolen car he was driving.
In
the early morning hours, a young man stole a car in Gresham, sped to Corbett, and
struck another vehicle in the oncoming lane. The car thief fled on foot and
left a cloud of dust, two disabled vehicles, and multiple victims. MCSO
deputies activated the Citizen Patrol and other local residents, and they all joined
in an extensive search with Portland Police K9. Within 45 minutes after the
crash, residents, who had been scanning local streets for the suspect, reported
seeing a suspicious man about a mile from the crash. The suspect was captured
shortly afterward by deputies less than 3 miles from the crash site.
The
newly formed MCSO Citizen Patrol was originally conceived by Deputy Joe
Graziano who also serves as the Corbett Community Resource Officer. The concept
of a Citizen Patrol surfaced at a meeting with citizens in the community and as
the number of interested citizens grew, so did the determination to see the
group become formalized and firmly established. Deputy Graziano pledged that he
would personally buy lunch for anyone that provided a tip that caused a "car
prowler" to be caught and arrested. Numerous citizens promised to be the first
to earn a free lunch!
Now,
after completing the initial training class and background records checks, all
26 Citizen Patrol volunteers are ready to assist law enforcement officers in
helping to deter crime in the Gorge. A particular area of focus for the Citizen
Patrol will be parking lots and trail heads--high volume targets for vehicle
break-ins.
When
patrolling designated areas, Citizen Patrol members work in pairs and wear
highly visible traffic safety vests and clear identification. Members are
trained to recognize criminal activity and also proper methods for reporting
activity. Citizen Patrol members document and forward information about
suspects and suspect vehicle descriptions directly to Sheriff's Office deputies
for follow-up investigation.
Recently,
Citizen Patrol members reported that they're mere presence is having an
impact--suspicious individuals lingering in a parking lot quickly departed
after realizing they'd been given a second look by members patrolling the
area.
If you would like to
volunteer for the Sheriff's Office Citizen Patrol, please contact Deputy Joe
Graziano at 503-251-2502 or via email at [email protected].
Written by Joe Graziano
|
Netsmartz411
Most of us have heard of or are a part of social networking
sites such as MySpace or Facebook. On
these sites, users set up profiles and often upload photos, videos, and other
personal information. Users can find
other users from all over the world and keep in touch through their personal
pages or even by chatting online. But
have you heard of Bebo, Webkinz, Xanga, or Pogo? Even if you haven't, there's a good chance
your kids have.
 Although the internet provides a lot of entertainment value and
useful information, when kids are online, there is also a risk. These risks include exposure to inappropriate
material, encounters with predators, and revealing of personal information.
Parents and guardians need to supervise children, especially
when children are interacting with others online. Adults also need to communicate with kids
about online safety.
Other tips for
keeping kids safer online: -
Keep the computer in a common area of the house
and restrict use when an adult is not at home
- Talk with kids about their online activities and
view their profiles together
-
Set guidelines for internet use
-
Know your child's passwords, screen names, and
account information
- Remind children never to give out personal
information and explain the public nature of the internet
-
Use privacy settings and restrict your child's
profile to users you know
NetSmartz411 is an Internet Safety Helpdesk and Hotline and
is part of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Available at www.netsmartz411.org, this resource can
provide answers to questions about internet safety, computers, cell phones, and
gaming technologies. NetSmartz411 also
provides safety tips and a form for asking experts specific questions about internet
safety situations. Written by Wendy Linn-Kelly
|
Our Yearly Jail Audit
The Oregon Jail Standards were written by a
committee of the Oregon State Jail Command Council under the auspices of the
Oregon State Sheriffs' Association. The standards provide nonbinding guidelines
for the operation of county jails, throughout the state of Oregon, as a means
of reinforcing and enhancing staff professionalism. The standards are based on
legal requirements, sound corrections practice, and the application of the
experience of the Oregon sheriffs and jail commanders. More information can be
found on the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association website.
By mutual
agreement, county jails throughout the state of Oregon, participate in an
inspection process, every two years, by
permitting the inspection of their jails by members of authorized inspection
teams. Currently, there are 31 Oregon jails that participate in the Oregon Jail
Standards inspection process and there are eight trained and authorized
inspection teams.
Inspection
teams consist of five to six members, with a lead inspector. The inspectors spend
two to three days observing a jail's operations and reviewing policies and procedures
for compliance with the 310 jail standards. Throughout the inspection process,
the team reviews documentation files and spends a full day touring the
facility, talking to inmates, auxiliary staff, and deputies. The team inspects inmate
housing areas, kitchens, and laundry facilities and observes the booking,
visiting, and release areas of the jail. The inspection team makes a compliance
determination for each standard as to whether the jail facility was in full compliance, partial compliance, or noncompliance
of each jail standard.
INVERNESS JAIL
 MCIJ Inverness Jail
On July 20th and 21st of 2010,
an inspection team from the Oregon Sheriffs' Jail Command
Council inspected the Multnomah County Inverness Jail. Team Leader for
the inspection was Sergeant Dan Lindhorst of Northern Oregon Regional
Correctional Facilities. In his final report to Sheriff Staton and MCIJ
Facility Commander Captain Heidenrich, Sergeant Lindhorst stated, "I am very
pleased to report that overall, we found your facility to be operating well
within the guidelines of the Oregon Jail Standards. We found your facility to be very orderly and
well run. We found all the people we
interviewed to be very courteous and helpful."
The final compliance determination for MCIJ was 96.7%.
The inspectors identified approximately 10 points
where adjustments could be made, half of which will be simple fixes while the
remaining will require analysis and consideration. Captain Heidenrich wishes to
thank everyone for their efforts in assisting MCIJ during this process,
especially noting that all staff should feel good about the
individual and collective performance both during the audit and every day.
DETENTION CENTER
 MCDC Justice Center
Written
by: Captain Rai Adgers
Deputy LaVerne Lewis
|
Welcome Aboard!
Back
row l-r Jacob Zachariasen, Joshua Azevedo,
Robert Sisco, Tiffany Henderson, Julia Porras
Front
row l-r Lily Fulgieri, Danielle Giurlani
On August 2, MCSO
enthusiastically welcomed seven new employees to the MCSO team. As is
customary, each new employee was asked to come forward and family members
present were invited to join them to be greeted by Sheriff Dan
Staton. This part of the ceremony, as is usual, was accompanied by a bit of
humor and light laughter from the audience as family members tried to
delicately cajole and corral younger children into holding still for the
photograph session. Coffee and cake topped off the festivities and a loud
round of applause heartily welcomed the newcomers to the MCSO team.
|
Open
for Business: The New MCSO Training Facility
The new training facility set up for the ORPAT test.
The
new Training Facility has come on line at its new home on NE 172nd Place.
Sharing a building with the Auxiliary Services Unit, this facility will provide
not only an opportunity for the Sheriff's Office to save valuable budget
resources, it is equipped with classroom and training space that will serve
most of the training needs for both civilian and sworn staff.
The
Training Facility features a large Con-Sim (Conflict Simulation) room that can
serve multiple purposes. It is equipped with a durable curtain with a
large clear plastic window to section off the area between Con-Sim students and
actors, and the rest of the class. The room also features a large bay
door that will enable the Training Unit to use realistic training scenarios
involving patrol vehicles. The Con-Sim room can also be used to
administer the ORPAT (
Oregon Physical Agility Test) for current employees as well as deputy
applicants. Additionally, the room can be covered with gym mats to
facilitate large classes for defensive tactics.
Another
feature of the new Training Facility is the Range 3000/Technology Training
Classroom. This room will prove invaluable for training staff in the latest IT
tools such as the forthcoming changes to the BOEC CAD system. The Range 3000
simulator training system has been installed and is ready to use on a regular
basis. Having space dedicated to this valuable simulation system will
enable the Training Unit to offer more realistic training in use of force
decision-making skills on a more regular basis.
The
new Training Facility also features a large standard classroom that is
permanently hard-wired with a projector and audio system. No more instructors
fumbling with the In Focus projectors and those of you who sit in the back
rows, you will now be able to hear clearly the audio in presentation video
clips! The Training Facility also features an executive style conference room
that can be used for meetings and small classes.
Not
only will this facility provide a myriad of opportunities for in-house
training, but we will also be able to more readily host training classes by
outside providers and rent our facility to other Public Safety agencies. This
facility will act as a regional training center for many years to come.
The
Training Unit and Auxiliary Services Unit will be hosting an open house
celebration for our latest improvement in our facility
"footprint." Watch for details and dates for this open house to
be released soon. In the mean time, if you get a chance, stop by the building
at 2955 NE 172nd Place and take a look at the future of training within
MCSO. As always, stay safe!
Written by Lt.
Harry Smith
|
|
Sheriff's Deputies Worked With the Audubon Society to Rescue Hawk
On August 9, 2010 Members of the Multnomah County Sheriff's
River Patrol Unit rescued an injured Red Tail Hawk along Marine Drive near the
Columbia River and Portland International Airport. The bird of prey appeared to
have a leg injury and was unable to fly as a result. The hawk was rescued after it flopped across
Marine Drive narrowly missing oncoming traffic and coming to rest in a
drainage ditch. Sheriff's Deputies contacted and took the injured hawk to the
Audubon Society of Portland (5151 Northwest Cornell Road Portland, OR
97210-1081).
Sadly on August 11, Staff Veterinarian Deb Sheaffer reported that the male hawk had died of
complications from a spinal injury that had left its legs paralyzed. The hawk
also suffered internal hemorrhaging, Sheaffer said.
|
The MCSO 2010 Services Report is Out.
|
|
|
|
| Your opinions, questions and concerns are important to us. If you would like to comment on any of MCSO service(s), or any article you have read in this newsletter please click HERE. Or Email us HERE |
|
|
|
|
|
