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 MCSO eNewsletter
Your 24/7 Human Services
and Public Safety Agency
SPRING 2011
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Letter from the Sheriff
Sheriff Daniel Staton
As you may know, I was recently assigned to the Oregon State Sheriff's Association Legislative Committee (OSSA). I began meeting with the other 6 sheriffs on the committee in January to discuss our priorities and strategy for this legislative session. So far this session has been one of the busiest in years, with a wide variety of introduced bills that will impact public safety in significant ways. There isn't room here to provide a complete and comprehensive list, but I'd like to let you know about some of the bills the OSSA Legislative Committee is tracking and the positions we are taking on them, to date.
HB2787 - This bill would prohibit a public body from releasing information that would identify as holding or having applied for a concealed handgun license. There is an exception for criminal justice purposes.
OSSA supports HB2787 and several of our members have spoken to legislators to encourage its passage. This bill was passed out of the House Judiciary Committee as amended and received bi-partisan support as it passed the Housefloor vote. It has been referred to the President of the Senate and now awaits assignment to committee. If the Senate passes it, HB2787 will go to the Governor for his signature.
HB2168 - This bill would require counties to assume responsibility for felony offenders already in custody who, at the time of sentencing, have 12 months or less of their term of incarceration to serve.
OSSA is opposed to this HB2168 and is working with stakeholders to either come up with a set of amendments that all parties can agree with, or, barring that, to prevent its passage. The bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee and received a public hearing on Feb 24th. HB2168 needs to be assigned a work session in committee and come up for a vote before it can proceed to the Housefloor for a vote of all the members.
HB3440 - This bill would direct the Department of Corrections to work with Multnomah County to operate Wapato jail as a minimum security correctional institution for inmates who are ill, elderly or physically incapacitated. It also allows for contracting with a private entity to accomplish this task.
OSSA is opposed to HB3440, as it is currently written. We are working with the bill's sponsors to determine what the best plans are for either amending this bill and moving it forward, or, if we can't come to an agreement, work to prevent its passage.
OSSA, like many organizations and individuals around the state, is paying close attention to the bills that would impact the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS). Many of the bills are still being worked and rewritten in an attempt to find language that is acceptable to all stakeholders. While we will continue to participate in this process and track these bills, OSSA has not yet taken a position on them. I will keep you informed of any developments on these very important issues.
If you have any questions regarding these bills and would like to follow the direction taken, please feel free to contact me.
Sheriff Dan Staton
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Taking the Plunge
This year the MCSO All Star team surpassed our $5000 goal by raising $6816 for Oregon Special Olympics. Thirty-one members of the Sheriff's Office, including Sheriff Dan Staton, took the chilly dip on February 12, 2011 into the Columbia River. A total of $261,759 was raised and over 3000 Oregonians took the plunge statewide!
If you would like to participate next year, visit the Portland Plunge website
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Multnomah County Sheriff's Office announces the success of its From Drugs to Mugs© program
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office began working on its second drug abuse prevention effort, From Drugs to Mugs©, in November 2008. This program is a follow up to the popular and critically acclaimed Faces of Meth™ program released in 2005. An MCSO public press announcement of From Drugs to Mugs© occurred upon its debut June 4, 2009, at Sam Barlow High School. Since that time it has become a very popular education program in schools and law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and national level. Praise for From Drugs to Mugs© has come from around the world. In the US alone, jurisdictions within 48 of 50 states have purchased the program for their own educational purposes.
"I just wanted to say thank you for your work on this project. I have been using your photos to teach thousands of students in my Drug Education classes for the past several years."- Officer Steven Millar, Streamwood, IL Police Dept.
Since posting an eight minute preview of From Drugs to Mugs© on YouTube, creator of From Drugs to Mugs© and Faces of Meth™ Deputy Bret King, has been interviewed by numerous news and media outlets. On February 25, 2011, King was featured on MSNBC, who made From Drugs to Mugs© their lead story, sparking more than 83,000 hits on the YouTube preview and sales of more than 400 of the DVD/CD program through the MCSO website.
From Drugs to Mugs© takes students behind the walls of a county jail, where they hear how and why addicted inmates started using drugs and the consequences of their decisions. The inmate interview questions were formulated from a survey of nearly 500 high school students from East Multnomah County in Portland, Oregon. Students were asked to list five questions they would ask someone who was in jail because of drugs or alcohol. They were also asked what two factors would be most influential in their decision to try or not try drugs.
"I would like to thank you for providing communities with the necessary tools to help improve the lives of youth everywhere." - Tim Trylinski, High School Teacher-Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Underage drinking, smoking marijuana and prescription drug abuse are behaviors many teens have a relaxed attitude toward. These are behaviors we've seen evolve into the abuse of harder drugs, the commission of crimes, and ultimately jail or death. It makes much more sense to arm young people with the understanding of the potential outcomes of these behaviors, before they choose to engage in them, than try to address the problem after it becomes one. From Drugs to Mugs© does this with frank discussion and stark reality.
The From Drugs to Mugs© educational package includes a CD containing a collection of mug shot images, which also appear in the 48-minute long DVD documentary. Statistics resulting from a survey and criminal history investigation of three hundred inmates from Multnomah County's Inverness Jail are used to illustrate the connection between early drug and alcohol abuse, addiction and crime. These connections are punctuated by commentaries from MCSO's Special Investigations Unit, a DEA Special Agent, an MD who is the CEO of an addiction recovery center, a Deputy Medical Examiner, and a drug court judge who is also a grieving father who lost his daughter to the world of drugs.
"People who are not working in the system have no idea how horrible this drug problem is, it destroys a person at every conceivable level-physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually." - Bridget Saunders, Staff Attorney II, DPA Boone County Kentucky
For more information about From Drugs to Mugs© or Faces of Meth™, please visit our website; www.facesofmeth.us.
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Have you taken the OATH yet? Do it HERE.
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Run!
Several members of MCSO joined in Portland's first official Rite of Spring by running the 33rd annual Shamrock Run on March 13 to support Doernbecher Children's Hospital Foundation.
From front to back. Kent Krumpschmidt, who finished 5 out of 600 in his division, his wife Maile Krumpschmidt, Angela McCafferty, who finished 77 out of 1400 in her division, Matt Berray, Marit Nelson, Nicole Morrisey who finished 46 out of 1100 in her division, Phil Anderchuk, who finished 15th in his division, Tod Morrisey, Gary Glaze and doing leg stretches off camera is Larry Simpson. Berray, Simpson and Glaze all finished in the top third of their respective divisions.
Congratulations to all of you!
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AJA Civilian Employee of the Year
Program Administrator Byron Moore will be presented with the American Jail Association Civilian of the Year Award at its upcoming conference in Cincinnati, Ohio in May 2011.
Byron Moore has worked for Multnomah County Sheriff's Office for 25 years and helps manage the multitude of inmate programs offered within our jails.
In her nomination letter, Captain Bobbi Luna wrote;
"Byron's expertise and his systematic approach to service delivery has both inspired and supported our jail reentry efforts. Perhaps most importantly, he has demonstrated to his staff and colleagues that he is willing to go the extra mile to support system improvements. All good programs involve positive first steps; excellent programs add both depth and shading, also known as quality and purpose. Byron's work for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office consistently supports both quality and purpose."
Congratulations Byron!
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Learning to Save Lives
 After one of our deputies had a heart attack while on duty last year, Deputies Dangler, Alfano, and Ingram saw a need to teach a CPR class for 10 work crew inmates. The class was a huge success. All who attended were very thankful that the class was offered and were proud to be part of a life-saving network. Providing for a safer community where CPR training means more individuals alive today.
Class topics included:
- First aid: Participants learn first aid skills for treating a variety of injuries, wounds, head, neck and back injuries. Participants also learn to manage sudden illnesses, stroke, seizure, bites and poisoning.
- CPR: Adult: Participants learn how to perform CPR and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies in adults.
- AED: Participants learn how to use automatic external defibrillators.
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2010 Summary Statistics for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division
In 2010, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office processed a total of 37,743 bookings - over 103 bookings per day. Of these, 34,454 (91%) were standard bookings, 2151 (6%) were Turn-Self-In bookings and 1138 (3%) were In-Transit bookings. Standard bookings are when persons are arrested on new charges, brought in on a warrant, or serving a sanction for violating post-prison supervision or probation. Turn-Self-In bookings are where someone has been sentenced and ordered to return to jail at a later date. In-Transit bookings are those being held for other jurisdictions while being transported.
The average length of stay was 13.45 days for the 35,881 persons released from jail in 2010. The longest stay was 1406 days - just two months short of four years. This person was charged with Aggravated Murder, along with additional charges of Kidnapping, Robbery, Theft, and Burglary. He was transferred to the custody of the State Prison on September 22, 2010.
In 2010, 35% of persons in jail were "pre-trial". Twenty-six percent (26%) of persons in jail were "post-trial" serving their sentences. The remaining 39% of persons in jail had some type of "hold" placed on them. This means another criminal justice agency has an interest in this person remaining in jail.
Each month, the Sheriff's Office Resource Analysis Unit produces the Monthly Jail Report, which contains these types of statistics as well as several others. This report can be found at http://www.mcso.us/public/Publications_Reports/jail_stats.htm
Wendy Lin-Kelly
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Welcome Aboard!
Deputy Joshua Azevedo, Deputy Ryan Fitch, Deputy Reyna Garcia
Deputy Kris Mickelsen, Deputy Jacob Zachariasen, Deputy Ashley Ekblad, Deputy Dmitriy Lisichenko, FSO Brandon Tauscher, Deputy Kailey Perini, FSO Brad Ellertson
Coffee and cake topped off the festivities and a loud round of applause heartily welcomed the newcomers to the MCSO team. |
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District Attorney Michael Shrunk Swears in Sheriff Staton
On January 6, 2011, Sheriff Daniel Staton officially took office for his four year term. The honorable District Attorney Michael Schrunk swore Sheriff Staton into office surrounded by his command staff, family, friends and several members of the Sheriff's Office.
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Tip a Cop is HERE! 
The 'Tip-A-Cop' campaign is a national fundraising event. Locally, law enforcement officers and department personnel will volunteer their time as 'celebrity waiters' to collect tips at Red Robin restaurants to support Special Olympics Oregon. Also, from March 21-25, Red Robin will donate 50 cents to the Law Enforcement Torch Run/Special Olympics for every cheeseburger/Coca-Cola combination ordered. That donation is capped at $50,000.
When: Saturday, March 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Red Robin restaurant at 12530 S.E. 93rd Street in Portland and 8403 Main Street in Wilsonville.
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Oh the Places You'll Go
Deputies Lee and Smith participated in Dr. Seuss' birthday on March 2, 2011. To celebrate, each deputy selected a book and read to the students of Highland Elementary. What's your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
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The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial finds a home for two of our own deputies.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is the nation's monument to law enforcement officers and deputies who have died in the line of duty. Dedicated on October 15, 1991, the Memorial honors federal, state and local law enforcement officers and deputies who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people.
The Memorial features two curving, 304-foot-long blue-gray marble walls. Carved on these walls are the names of nearly 19,000 officers and deputies who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, dating back to the first known death in 1792. Unlike many other memorials in Washington, DC, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is ever-changing: new names of fallen officers are added to the monument each spring.
It is with great honor that I announce the addition of the names of our own to the monument. Deputy Sheriff's Robert Ray Anderson and Irving Lawrence Burkett have been approved for inclusion to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. Their names will be formally dedicated on May 13th at the 24th Annual Candlelight Vigil. Both deputies were shot in the line of duty which diminished their quality and duration of life.
Their families have been notified and we are honored to provide Multnomah County Sheriff's Office representation for this ceremony.
Sincerely,
Sheriff Daniel Staton |
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SOS
The Sheriff's Office Support Group, formerly known as the "Spouses Group" would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the some of the events we currently support for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office including the Fallen Officer Ceremony, Muffin Grams, Bibs for Babies and care packages for deployed military employees.
For our annual Retiree Dinner, we will have a merchandise table with some of the following items for sale: Key chains, lapel pins, T-shirts, caps, mugs, Crime Stopper decks of cards, and baby bibs with our MCSO logo.
In the months to come, the SOS Group will have updates on upcoming events such as muffin grams and an afternoon matinee for the kids with popcorn. In addition, Mrs. Skipper is lining up classes that can be offered to spouses and civilian staff for a better understanding of the world MCSO employees work in.
Our next meeting - Thursday, April 7th 6:30 pm Hansen Bldg Auditorium. Please join us.
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