The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on March 18 voted unanimously in favor of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that puts the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in command of the region’s transit police starting April 1.
Under the new agreement, the Multnomah County Sheriff will take over business administration of the division, overseeing transit police precincts, supervision of daily operations and selection and deployment of officers and deputies. Multnomah County will pay the costs of salaries, insurance, cell phones, and bill TriMet for those fees and services. TriMet transit police and contracted security oversee public safety on the bus, MAX and WES lines in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties.
The Board approved the agreement after Commissioners Lori Stegmann and Susheela Jayapal advocated for a management model that would increase transit police training on mental health interventions and deescalation, and assure additional community oversight.
Chair Deborah Kafoury thanked Sheriff Reese and TriMet staff for their continued cooperation since the agreement was brought to the board March 9 and Commissioners Jayapal and Stegmann for “making the new model of transit security even more transparent and inclusive.”
The County anticipates TriMet would budget $82.5 million to fund the division over seven years, roughly $12 million a year. That would cover the County’s portion of up to $2 million as well provide dedicated funding for creating new pilot programs, livability issues and resource partnerships. A captain in the Sheriff’s Office will serve as chief of transit police.
“I believe MCSO truly reflects the values of Multnomah County and will provide professional leadership for TriMet’s public safety services. Through our shared values, MCSO and TriMet envision a multi-faceted safety model that’s aligned with community values and seeking alternative solutions to a traditional criminal justice system approach to public safety matters,” Sheriff Mike Reese said before the vote.
TriMet began the process of evaluating its public safety model for transit in early 2019 with the goal of a newly negotiated agreement between local law enforcement partners in January 2020.
After the murder of George Floyd and national re-examination of policing, TriMet paused its process. Staff held listening sessions and conducted a regional community survey, as well as, compiled data and created a Blue Ribbon Committee to assess and make recommendations on the future of law enforcement connected to transit public safety models.
“Our values as a County and as a Sheriff’s Office will inform and improve the overarching safety and wellbeing on the transit system. It’s a foundation that allows for a thriving and healthy community. TriMet has been a good partner in the conversations we’ve had about reimagining public safety and reimagining how to meet the needs of people who use the transit system. Some of the most vulnerable people in our community use it every single day,” Sheriff Reese said.
The vote was preceded by several public testimonies including one by Maura White, the executive director of Mother and Child Education Center, a non-profit located across the street from the Hollywood Transit Center.
“Our typical clients are young women and recent immigrants who have a baby and limited support, these women and families are in poverty, they often don’t have a safety net. They are alone and often afraid,” she said.
“The people we work with rely on transit to get around… the last thing they need is not to feel safe on the bus or MAX.”
Concern about a lack of police presence, notably among women and riders of color, has been growing since Portland Police Bureau ended their longstanding contract with TriMet in 2019 and withdrew officers.
A recent survey of 13,000 TriMet riders found that 45% felt unsafe due to a lack of police presence compared to 29% who said that police presence made them feel unsafe. Sixty-three percent of responders 65 years and older said they were more likely to feel unsafe due to a lack of police presence, as were 55% of Black and 48% of responders who were people of color.
“The perception is that when there’s not some form of transit police presence... females, limited English proficient communities, seniors, and yes, people of color feel less safe riding public transit without some form of presence,” said Transit Equity Director John Gardner at a March 9 board briefing.
However, other community members, including people of color, have said uniformed officers do not make them feel safe.
Before the vote, Commissioner Stegmann was firm about demanding accountability for transit police and to transition away from law enforcement “as preferred first responders to most transit issues,” proposing an additional TriMet staff position in Multnomah County’s Health Department to enable a cross departmental crisis response team.
“The research shows that a crisis response team that is skilled in deescalation is more effective in the long term for our communities. In order to vote in favor of this IGA, I need to be confident that our system is moving in that direction,” Commissioner Stegmann.
“This means the Sheriff’s Office will work in partnership with the Multnomah County Health Department’s Behavioral Health Division and it means a commitment from the Joint Office of Homeless Services to develop a model and budget based on best practices for this team… Additionally, I request that a specific training curriculum be included as a part of this model with a focus on mental health, de-escalation, mental health first aid, and a more extensive crisis response certification that can provide adequate training to intervene in highly volatile or acute situations.”
In her statement, Commissioner Susheela Jayapal highlighted the importance of robust community oversight on the IGA and requested reports to the board every six months. The Commissioner also advocated for the appropriate allocation of services to deal with the variety of circumstances that can occur on public transit.
“What the community engagement and testimony tells us and what all riders want is the appropriate level of response and the lowest level of intervention for a particular situation,” Commissioner Jayapal said.
“So if it’s a behavioral health crisis, we want someone trained in behavioral health response… They want the presence of rider ambassadors, people who are identified as resources, can help them feel comfortable, and help answer general questions about TriMet.”
Chair Kafoury said “we find ourselves at a unique moment that feels more than ready to make meaningful historic steps toward racial justice and the transformation of our criminal legal system. While this IGA is solely focused on providing security services, it puts MCSO and TriMet in a position to implement the recommendations developed by the Blue Ribbon Panel. I view this as a step in the right direction and a step towards progress,” she said.
“I do believe it is still important to have some sort of law enforcement personnel available to respond to serious issues on the transit system, but it’s encouraging to see a concerted movement toward investing in new approaches to transit safety that are far less reliant on law enforcement interventions.”
After the Board’s vote, the Sheriff and TriMet issued Media Release: Multnomah County takes command of transit police. (530.78 KB)