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MULTNOMAH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Multnomah County’s public safety and criminal justice system is changing its protocol to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. These changes will result in less crowded jails and courtrooms, making it easier for people to maintain safe social distancing practices.

“Trying times call for unprecedented coordination and cooperation,” said Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury in a tweet about the new measures, which affect the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, the Portland Police Bureau, the Gresham Police Department, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, and Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Under the new guidelines, police in Multnomah County are encouraged to only arrest people for serious, violent charges. In cases of less severe crimes, they are allowed to instead issue a citation “requiring a person to appear in court at a later date,” presumably once the worst of COVID-19 has passed.

The changes also include “enhanced cleaning” of county jails, and screening people for COVID-19 symptoms and recent travel before they are admitted to jail. An extra dorm was opened at Multnomah County Inverness Jail last Friday to allow for more social distancing. Officials are also considering allowing early release for some people to make the jail less crowded.

The District Attorney’s office and Multnomah County Circuit Court are also changing how they do business. Non-urgent trials are being postponed, and the DA’s office is doing most of its work remotely. People will also be given leniency for violating their probations, as long as they are not suspected of committing new crimes.

In a post announcing the new rules, the county’s public safety and criminal justice agencies said that they may change again as the coronavirus continues to impact how Portlanders live and are able to get around.

“This is a rapidly-evolving situation,” the post read, “and one that requires flexibility and collaboration.”