Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell released a community letter on April 20 following the announcement of Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027.
The letter outlines the impact of the county’s financial situation on public safety services and highlights how budget decisions affect the Sheriff’s Office and related agencies. Morrisey O’Donnell said that maintaining a safe and thriving community remains central to her office’s mission, despite current financial challenges.
“Despite the current financial realities Multnomah County faces, the vision of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office remains unchanged: Maintaining a safe and thriving community for everyone. We remain laser-focused on our mission to support all community members through exemplary public safety service,” Morrisey O’Donnell said in her statement.
She emphasized that public safety requires alignment between what residents expect and available funding. “A safe community requires alignment between public expectations and financial investment. I know from my 30 years of experience of living and working in this community that public safety – and the trust people have in that system – is what allows all other social and economic systems to function. When public safety is underfunded, the consequences are felt by everyone,” she said.
Morrisey O’Donnell explained how different parts of Multnomah County’s public safety system rely on each other, noting that strain in one area can have effects throughout the system. She described efforts to address critical backlogs by reallocating staff from programs such as Homeless Outreach into Investigations and Civil Units, resulting in ending those outreach programs due to funding priorities.
“The link between public safety and economic vitality is critical. Families and businesses rely on a system that delivers protection and accountability to thrive. By maintaining order and promoting community safety, we provide the stability required for our community to recover and move forward with confidence,” she added.
In closing, Morrisey O’Donnell acknowledged difficult choices ahead as county leaders weigh competing needs but stressed collective responsibility: “A safe Multnomah County is a collective effort where our shared goal must be a resilient public safety service network that provides for every member of our community.”
