"While I accept this agreement is in the best interest of all parties, my office stands by the actions of the deputies who followed training and policy. No deputy placed a knee on Ka'Mar Benbo's neck. We do not train deputies to restrict a person's airway or impede their ability to breathe. I will continue to ensure that my deputies are properly trained and that all uses of force are reviewed to ensure they are within policy."
I stand with my law-enforcement partners in condemning the actions that led to the death of George Floyd on May 25. My heart goes out to Mr. Floyd's family. Incidents like these dramatically erode our efforts to partner with the communities we serve, including communities of color.
— Craig Roberts, Clackamas County Sheriff, May 28, 2020
Completed in 2018, our Law Enforcement Memorial Plaza honors fallen Clackamas County law enforcement officers and deputies. It features bronze castings of two Honor Guards and a police K9 at attention guarding a fallen officer, designed and manufactured by artist Rip Caswell. A concrete cast image of Mt. Hood provides a dramatic backdrop.
A decade in the planning, the project cost $350,000, including donated professional services.
Fallen Officers in Clackamas County
Officer George J. Hanlon Oregon City Police Department Killed in the line of duty: April 23, 1906
Sheriff John R. Shaver Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Killed in the Line of Duty: April 30, 1906
Sergeant James H. Worell Milwaukie Police Department Died in the line of Duty: December 31, 1953
Deputy Jimmy Lee Shoop Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Killed in the Line of Duty: November 7, 1981
In 2021, Clackamas County resident Brandon Wintringham lost his life to a fentanyl overdose. Brandon's parents recently sat down with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office to tell Brandon's story in a powerful new video they hope will raise awareness about the impact fentanyl is having on our community. We want to thank Brandon's parents for bravely sharing their story.
Meet Deputy Matt Brown. Deputy Brown’s new full-time assignment is to detect and arrest impaired drivers. The Sheriff hopes to expand this DUII enforcement program in the future.
These young women are on a mission to turn their dreams into reality -- and they're making it happen by participating in two programs offered by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
Over half a decade ago, Jordan Bladen was living on the streets, fighting a heroin addiction.
One evening, he was stopped by Deputy Davis -- who helped set Jordan on a life-changing path to recovery with the Clackamas Substance Addiction Program (CSAP).
Answering a call for help from the Lake County Sheriff.
Four of our deputies joined deputies from across the state to assist with evacuations and other logistical backup on the #BootlegFire , at the time the nation's biggest wildfire.
In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, declaring the calendar week in which May 15 falls as "National Police Week."
If you're interested in volunteering with Clackamas County Search & Rescue, please read the following and then complete the volunteer application linked at the bottom of this page.
We accept applications from Jan. 10 - Sept. 15.
Interviews will be held after Sept. 15.
Is Clackamas Search & Rescue right for me?
Thank you for your interest in Volunteer Search and Rescue!
CSAR is a great choice for motivated people to make a real difference in our community. We are a close-knit team of professionals who rely on each other every time we deploy.This is not just a hobby — it’s more of a lifestyle that requires some dedication and commitment.
Before submitting an application, there are some things you should know that may help you determine if this is the right way to invest your volunteer time:
You will go through a thorough background process. We encourage people not to purchase expensive gear that they would not normally use until they have completed the background process and onboarding with the Sheriff’s Office. This also allows new members time to talk with other team members about what gear should be purchased when the time is right. There are also many discounts through the team once you have been onboarded.
Our members pay for their own personal equipment and fuel. We have a required equipment list and most of the expensive items can be acquired over time since we have a limited number of radios and GPS units to loan out on missions. Most of the other equipment is commonly owned by anyone spending a lot of time in the back-country.
State certification: We require that all members attain the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association (OSSA) basic SAR certification and we will train you internally to meet this requirement which can take up to a year to complete. This training is over and above the training described in #4 below.
We hold general team training events once each month on the third weekend of each month, alternating between Saturday and Sunday. We require that members not miss three of these training events in a row or eligibility for missions will be affected until specific minimum training requirements are met.
We have a mission response requirement of at least 12 per year. We spend a lot of time and energy training people to do this critical service safely and effectively. We want to see those skills put to use and your team relationships maintained and strengthened. CCSO receives 120-140 SAR calls each year.
Specialty teams: CSAR has a number of specialty teams including K9, Technical rope rescue, drones, communication, EMS, trail running and ATV. After OSSA certification, we require that all new members spend at least one year (or the first 12 missions, whatever comes first) doing basic ground SAR in order to make sure your basic skills are honed before branching out. Please note that any other disciplines you intend to pursue have additional training requirements that are over and above the general team training requirements described in #4 above.
The Oregon State Sheriffs' Association (OSSA) requires that all SAR members have at a minimum, current basic first aid and CPR cards.
Each member is required to complete a fitness test each year. We have pre-approved routes that can be hiked on your own schedule. GPS tracks are sent to the training committee chair. Routes typically cover 5-6 miles with at least a 1200’ elevation gain within a given time limit.
If this sounds like a good fit, please fill out an application in the Jan. 10 – Sept. 15 window, and we’ll schedule an interview.
How to apply
We accept applications Jan. 10 - Sept. 15.
Our CSAR leadership team will reach out to applicants with information and will schedule an interview. Once background checks are completed, applicants will have limited participation until attending our CSAR Academy the following spring.
If you're interested in volunteering with Clackamas County Search & Rescue, please complete our volunteer application from Jan. 10 - Sept. 15.
Then email that application — along with a cover letter detailing your SAR or backcountry experience — to lhamlin@clackamas.us .
You can also physically mail your application to the following address:
Clackamas County Sheriff's Office attn: Lyndie Hamlin, CSAR applications 2223 Kaen Rd. Oregon City, OR 97045
Suicide is the leading cause of death in jails and prisons. In the United States, the jail suicide rate is almost four times that of the national average.
If you or someone you know in the Clackamas County Jail is thinking about suicide, contact our jail staff immediately.
Being in custody can be very stressful and create anxiety due to fear of the unknown. During your conversation with a loved one in custody, if you become concerned your loved one is in emotional distress and making comments of self-harm that lead to a suicidal crisis, we're here to help. Please call Clackamas County Jail staff at 503-722-6777 or a Jail Medical professional at 503-722-6775.
The problem is real. Know the signs.
Entering jail and leaving the support of family and community, and dealing with the increasing challenges of incarceration with the weight of pending criminal charges or serving a sentence, can cause many to struggle. Depression, versus ordinary unhappiness, is characterized by longer and deeper feelings of despondency and the presence of certain characteristic symptoms.
This distinction is important — because in severe cases, depression can be life threatening, with suicide as a possible outcome.
You should contact the jail immediately if you have a loved one in jail and they develop persistent problems with depression, including:
Losing connections with family and friends outside jail
Taking poor care of themselves
Thinking of suicide or self-harm
These conditions do not have to be permanent. Try taking it one step at a time. Have your loved one or yourself contact Jail Staff to help. The jail has professionals that can assist your loved one though the tough times that accompany being in jail.
While it may not be uncommon to feel some emotional stress being incarcerated, thoughts of hurting oneself or suicide while in jail aretreatable.
Do not keep suicidal thoughts to yourself. Please contact a jail staff member so that there is an opportunity to help your loved one.
If your loved one is having depressive thoughts, you should remind them that there are ways to improve nearly any problem or situation. As time passes and circumstances change, what is now a big problem may turn into a smaller problem. If they cannot think of solutions to their problem, it does not mean that other solutions do not exist. It simply means that they are currently unable to see other solutions by yourself.
Medical staff are available to talk to adults in custody if they experience feelings of depression, nightmares, loss of appetite, mood swings, hearing or seeing things that do not appear to be real or any other concerns about their mental health.
The Clackamas County Jail screens for suicidal ideations and past suicide attempts during our intake process, but, especially for suicide, the ideation may not be present during intake but may materialize at a later date or time due to other factors such as guilt or hopelessness.
How you can help:
Recognize Potential Hharm
Choose to Respond
Take Action
Step 1. Recognize Potential Harm
To first help an individual who's experiencing thoughts of suicide, you need to recognize the self-induced harm that's occurring.
Expressing hopelessness about the future
Displaying severe/overwhelming emotional pain or distress
Changes in sleep (increased or decreased)
Recent increased agitation or irritability
Step 2. Choose to Respond
The second step is to choose to respond. When choosing to respond you need to overcome any fear and worry you may have associated with talking to people having thoughts of suicide. There are a number of barriers that you might need to get past to be motivated and willing to intervene. These can include:
Barriers to Intervene:
"I'm sure someone else will do something, so I don't need to."
"I'm not responsible, it's someone else's problem."
"No one else thinks this is a problem so it's not a big deal."
Motivations to Intervene:
To overcome these barriers, it is important to think about the many reasons to help. These can include:
"I care about the person being impacted."
"I'll feel better knowing I did something."
"I would want someone to help me if I was in that situation."
Step 3. Take Action
If your loved one is in our custody, see the red bolded bullet point below for directions on how to notify us of your concerns. If your loved one is not in custody you can contact any one of the three below listed entities on the bottom of the page that specialize in helping people with mental health issues/suicidal ideations.
If you are concerned about a loved one in the Clackamas County Jail whom you fee might be exhibiting suicidal ideations, please call us at any hour at 503-722-6777 and ask to speak with the sergeant on duty.
Resources available to those dealing with suicidal thoughts and ideations:
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