Sheriff

1845	The first public building in Oregon was a jail - the first jail west of the Rocky Mountains. And it was built in Oregon City. It was two stories tall, 18 feet square and made of wood.
1846	The jail burns down under mysterious circumstances.
1854	A second jail is built. In addition, a 8-by-4-foot steel box may have been used as a temporary jail when other accommodations weren't available. It was windowless, seated two - uncomfortably - and may be over 150 years old.
1884	The County's fifth courthouse is built in Oregon City, and the County Jail moves into the basement. There are reports of prisoners talking to the public through the bars.
1937	The sixth and final courthouse opens at the same location in 1937. Its basement jail became overcrowded - and a determined prisoner could reportedly cut through the weak steel grating with a knife. The federal government refused to approve it for holding federal prisoners.
1959	The Clackamas County Jail is built at its current site in Oregon City. It has a capacity of about 86 prisoners.
1982	The Jail is remodeled, and an addition constructed - raising its capacity to 164.
1990	Another addition is constructed to accommodate the Oregon Corrections Intake Center (OCIC) - adding 300 beds, administrative space, and new medical and booking facilities.
2002	The OCIC moves to a new location, and the Clackamas County Jail absorbs the vacated space. Thirty beds are converted to an in-house laundry service - increasing the total number of jail beds to 434.

Waterway Patrol

Our Marine deputies patrol all the waterways in Clackamas County, including:

• 30 miles of the Willamette River
• All of the Clackamas River (approximately 50 miles), including the North Fork Reservoir
• All of the Molalla River (approximately 50 miles)
• Approximately 10 miles of the Tualatin and Pudding Rivers
• The Sandy River above Oxbow Park and its tributaries
• Lake Oswego, Timothy, Trillium and Harriet Lakes

Duties include monitoring waterways for hazards and placing warning signs and buoys as aids to navigation and boater safety.

Clackamas County Parks boat ramps

 

Enforcement, Inspection, Investigation, Search, Training

The Marine Unit also conducts boating-safety examinations, hull inspections, and criminal and accident investigations.

The Marine Unit also supports the Dive Rescue team during water-related search-and-rescue operations.

Through a contract with the Oregon State Marine Board, the Marine Unit also provides a comprehensive marine-safety and law-enforcement training program for Clackamas County.

 

Staffing and Instruction

Marine Unit staffing includes one sergeant and three patrol deputies. All are Marine Board-certified marine-enforcement officers, medical first responders, swift-water-rescue and rope-rescue technicians.

Many of our Marine deputies also instruct for the Oregon State Marine Board, teaching for the Marine Safety and Law Enforcement Academy, and on topics such as drift-boat and jet-boat operations and how to conduct boat-accident investigations.

From May through September, more Marine deputies are added to meet increased patrol obligations during the warmer months.

Marine Service Officers (MSOs)

We are not currently seeking new MSOs at this time. Watch this space for updates.

In the summer, the Marine Unit brings on Marine Service Officers (MSOs) for temporary employment. MSOs are non-sworn Marine Unit team members who assist deputies with marine patrol duties, including:

• Preparation of boat inspections, citations and other paperwork
• Detection and investigation of boating and criminal violations
• public contacts and meetings
• boat operation and maintenance
• Assistance with rescue operations. 

MSO qualifications and requirements:

Applicants for this temporary position should be comfortable in, on and around water, and physically capable of paddling, rowing, swimming, hiking and other outdoor-related activities. Mechanical and or electrical aptitude is a plus, but not a prerequisite. Applicants must be prepared for a high level of self-initiated activity in a friendly and consent-based context.

At the time of selection, MSO applicants must:

• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age
• Possess a valid Oregon Driver’s License
• Possess an Oregon Boater’s Education Card
• Pass an oral interview and swim assessment

Once selected, MSO applicants must:

• Pass a thorough background investigation, conducted by CCSO
• Be available to respond to callouts
• Maintain a positive attitude towards the department and assignment
• Maintain a strong team attitude
• Demonstrate competence in basic powerboat operations

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Download Transition Center brochure (PDF)

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The Clackamas County Transition Center is the first facility of its kind in Oregon -- and a major step forward in reducing our jail population.

The Transition Center -- located in CCSO's former South Station in Oregon City -- is a nationally recognized, all-in-one location providing crucial services to people leaving jail or prison and to those at risk of returning. Its goal is to break patterns and change lives.

Clients can walk out of our jail upon release, cross the parking lot, and enter the Transition Center to get access to services including:

• Employment and housing assistance
• Peer mentors
• Cognitive therapy
• Mental-health and substance-abuse assessments
• Medication-assisted treatment referrals
• Bi-weekly SNAP enrollment
• Basic needs
• Hygiene items
• GED courses through Clackamas Community College
• Parenting-class referrals
• Narcan
• ID and vital-statistics assistance
• AA, NA and DDA support meetings

Transition Center Probation Officers also conduct "reach-ins" at the Clackamas County Jail and local prisons -- completing risk assessments, developing release plans and beginning the referral process for clients before they're released.

Community partners contributing to the Transition Center include:

• Bridges to Change
• Clackamas County Behavioral Health
• Clackamas County Health Centers
• Clackamas County Public Health Division
• CareOregon
• Clackamas Community College
• CODA
• Children, Family and Community Connections
• Northwest Family Services
• TriMet
• Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon
• Oregon Dept. of Human Services

Internet Safety

• Net Smartz
• Net Smartz Kids -- games and info about Internet safety for children

Gangs

• Early Precursors of Gang Membership: A Study of Seattle Youth

Child Abuse

• Darkness into Light
• Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect
• Long-term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect
• Toll-Free Crisis Hotline Numbers
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Children's Sites on Personal Safety

• McGruff's Safety for Kids

Drug Abuse

• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Partnership for a Drug Free America

Domestic Violence

• List of Oregon Victim Services

ID Theft

• ID Theft (Federal Trade Commission site)
• ID Theft and Fraud (Department of Justice site)

Neighborhood Watch

• National Neighborhood Watch
• National Crime Prevention Council
• Citizens Corps

Home Safety

• Practical Tips To Secure Your Home

How do I report graffiti in Clackamas County?

• Call our non-emergency line at 503-655-8211 to report graffiti on your property
• Call 911 to report crimes in-progress
• Report graffiti online using our Tip Line (select "Gangs/Graffiti")
• mail graffiti location (with photo) to graffiti@clackamas.us
• Text graffiti location (with photo) to 971-337-7769

What is graffiti?

Graffiti is the words, colors, and shapes drawn or scratched on buildings, overpasses, train cars, desks, and other surfaces. It's done without permission and it's against the law. The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program considers graffiti vandalism.

The term graffiti comes from the Greek word graphein , which means "to write." Graffiti today ranges from simple, one-color monikers -- called "tags" -- to complex compositions of several colors repeated on many surfaces.

Graffiti can be categorized into four basic types:

1. Tagger
   The most common type of graffiti in the metro region. Tagger graffiti may be simple line-letters, or elaborate, colorful designs. The tag is the writer's logo, his/her stylized personal signature, or "moniker." It is often done with marker, spray paint or other type implement. Tagger graffiti is about personal "fame."
2. Gang
   Meant to create a sense of intimidation and fear within a neighborhood. Gang members use graffiti to mark their territory or turf, declare their allegiance to the gang, advertise a gang's status or power, and to challenge rivals.
3. Communicative
   Often political or protest related.  It is a message such as "Peace", "Stop the War", etc.
4. Hate
   The making of any offensive slogans, or symbols towards a person's race, color, religion, ethnicity, culture, or sexual orientation.

Graffiti Prevention Tips

Prevent	Remove by promptly and persistently removing graffiti to discouraging repeat vandalism. Control access with hostile vegetation, barriers and lighting.  Move dumpsters and cover drainpipes to prevent climbing. Organize a Neighborhood Watch.
Report	Photograph the graffiti. Note location address. Notify the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office via one of the options listed at the top of this page.
Remove	Color-match paint and surfaces. Patchwork walls encourage new graffiti. Paint with MetroPaint recycled paint, which costs up to 50% less than retail paints. Remove stickers with a dull blade or putty-knife. Power-wash on porous surfaces.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office is committed to helping those with mental illness get the assistance they need prior to being in the criminal justice system. The Sheriff's Office works with community partners to assess and resolve the medical and mental health needs of each adult in custody. The jail is equipped with medically trained personnel who specialize in mental illness to address the needs of the Jail population. All individuals in custody with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office requesting or requiring medical services will be treated as patients with respect and dignity, and the highest level of care will be provided to those individuals.

Since February 2005, the Sheriff's Office has collaborated with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and local mental-health agencies to build the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program. CIT's goal is to provide information, tools, and resources to enhance first-responder encounters with the emotionally disturbed -- in jail and on the street -- and reduce overall incarcerations and risk of injury or death.

In January 2016, the Sheriff's Office supported the national Stepping Up Initiative ( read the resolution ) to reduce the number of people with mental illness in jails. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the factors contributing to the over-representation of people with mental illnesses in jails -- and then uses practices and strategies that work to drive those numbers down.

To help further these efforts, the Clackamas County Jail -- in conjunction with NAMI Clackamas -- created a guide and forms that can assist you in helping a friend or family member with a serious mental illness who has been arrested.

• NAMI: My Relative/Friend Has Been Arrested. What Do I Do?
  This guide provides step-by-step procedures to assist in navigating the criminal justice system and the Clackamas County Jail.
• Clackamas County Jail Adult in Custody Health Information Form
  Use this form to provide the jail staff with detailed medical and mental information.
• Formulario de Informacion de M'dica del Recluso (en Espanol)

It is best to deliver the form to the jail by hand or by fax -- address and fax number are at the bottom of the form.

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RELATED: Jail suicide prevention resources

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• Alarm Permits
• Civil Foreclosure Sales
• Civil Paper Service
• Parole & Probation
• Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHL)
• Exclusion Program
• Fingerprinting
• Graffiti Reporting
• Jail Inmate Roster
• News Releases
• Order a Patch
• Public Safety Training Center & Indoor Shooting Range
• Records Request
• Sex Offender Search
• Tip Line
• Traffic Complaints
• Warrant Check
• What if I'm Towed?

Get Involved

• Cadets
• Neighborhood Watch
• Reserves
• Ride Along
• Sheriff's Posse

& Crime-Prevention Resources

Start a Neighborhood Watch

Contact Officer Sara McClurg of our Crime Prevention Unit at 503-785-5077 or by email to learn more about upcoming Neighborhood Watch training sessions.

Report a Crime

Do you want to report a crime? Do you suspect someone of a crime? Please take a few moments to report this to the Sheriff's Office by filling out our online Tip Sheet. You may provide your name and contact number or make your report anonymously. You can also call our Tip Line at 503-723-4949.

Enroll in the Exclusion Program

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office offers any property owner, property manager, or any other person in control of a property to enroll in the Exclusion Program. 

The Exclusion Program allows sworn deputies to issue a "Notice of Exclusion" to people who enter a property without authorization,  cause substantial inconvenience, or threaten the safety of authorized users of a location. 

Notices of Exclusion are in place for one year at the time of the exclusion. People who return to a location within 365 days after being excluded may be charged with Criminal Trespass. 

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit was formed in 1990.  When they're not flying, the pilots -- all sworn law-enforcement deputies -- have regular assignments within the Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office owns a fixed-gear Cessna 182 aircraft, obtained several years ago through the drug-profit forfeiture process. The aircraft is a great tool in many different law-enforcement operations -- including search and rescue, traffic patrol, vehicle pursuits,  SWAT operations, and any other situation where an aerial view is critical.

The Aviation Unit is a valuable resource for the Sheriff's Office and other law-enforcement agencies in Clackamas County and the surrounding area.

The Sheriff's Office maintains a full-response Water Rescue Team. All divers are permanently assigned to other full-time duties; they're also subject to 24-hour call-out for all Clackamas County water-related incidents.

This highly trained team responds to rescues, body recoveries, underwater evidence searches, vehicle recoveries and submerged hazardous materials.

The team consists of a lieutenant, two sergeants, a detective and 11 deputies.

 

Partners in rescue

The team participates in the Clackamas County Interagency Water Consortium -- which also includes personnel from CCSO's Marine Unit, Clackamas County Fire District # 1, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, the Lake Oswego Fire Department, the Sandy Fire Department and American Medical Response.

In-depth training

Water Rescue Team members are trained in SCUBA, underwater investigations, white-water rescue and high-angle and technical water rescue.

All divers must complete Dive Rescue I certification to the Master Diver level through Dive Rescue International.

Team members are also required to certify as swift-water rescue technicians and train in rope rescue. Most team members are also certified First Responders, and one is an Emergency Medical Technician.

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