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Multnomah County sheriff warns Troutdale risks losing patrol and detectives if it ends contract
Summary
Sheriff Nicole Morris O'Donnell told Troutdale officials that terminating the city’s policing contract would remove two locally assigned patrol cars and two dedicated detectives, and shift the burden for daily patrols and investigative capacity to a new Troutdale Police Department. Staff presented budget scenarios and funding options ahead of a council work session.
Sheriff Nicole Morris O'Donnell told the Troutdale Public Safety Task Force that moving from the current contract with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office to a standalone Troutdale Police Department would remove dedicated patrol and investigative capacity the county currently maintains.
“Ongoing mutual aid can stabilize a major incident, but it is not a substitute for dedicated staffing, investigative capacity, supervisory oversight, or daily patrol operations,” Sheriff O’Donnell said, noting the county currently deploys two patrol cars across three shifts in Troutdale and assigns detectives and specialized units that a small, new department would not immediately provide.
Staff then walked members through side‑by‑side cost projections comparing three scenarios: the status quo (the current Multnomah County contract), a revised Multnomah proposal, and the Troutdale Police Department plan. The packet showed the city’s first full year of a Troutdale department at roughly $4.1–$4.2 million, a revised sheriff proposal at about $4.7 million, and the current contract at roughly $5.7 million for the year. Over five years, staff estimated the status‑quo path to be the most expensive and both the revised‑sheriff and city PD options to reduce multi‑year costs in different ways.
The presenter also highlighted start‑up capital and training costs for creating a city department, estimated at about $1 million in initial capital and training expenditures, and said a new local force would likely begin as a “thin base” of officers expected to carry out patrol, report writing and some investigative work while administrative functions are absorbed by a chief and lieutenant.
Council members and task force participants focused on how to pay for any change. Staff said the packet modelled a public‑safety utility fee (presented at approximately $25 per equivalent residential unit per month, with an estimated 7,357 equivalent residential units in Troutdale) and an alternate path using an operating levy. The packet included sample levy rates and a recommendation to consider allocating 70% of property‑tax revenue to public safety while using an operating levy to cover open gaps; staff noted a 100% allocation was technically possible but would leave little for other government services.
Several council members urged the group to prioritize the policy decision—whether to pursue formation of a department—over settling particular levy or fee amounts, and asked staff to produce a one‑page, numbered, side‑by‑side staffing-and-cost comparison for the council’s upcoming work session.
The task force did not take any formal votes on policing tonight; members agreed to bring the clearer comparison to the council work session for further direction.
