Sheriff

“Drive with a Cop” has been canceled for 2021. Check this page for updates.

Drive With A Cop pairs teens who are licensed drivers in their own cars with Clackamas County Sheriff's Office deputies who are also trained driving instructors. Teens learn about safe driving techniques as they navigate a driving course. Inside, teen drivers go through a variety of stations where they learn about the dangers of speed, impaired, and distracted driving. Participants have the opportunity to wear "impaired goggles" and also hear from speakers impacted by teen car crashes.

Drive With A Cop features

• Hands-on driving training with Clackamas County Sheriff's Office deputies.
• Speakers impacted by the loss of family members in teen driving crashes.
• Virtual Reality Technology, Impaired Goggles, and other technology aimed at teaching young people about the dangers of driving impaired and distracted.
• Crash Reconstruction presentation.

Registration info: This event is currently canceled for 2021.

Spaces are limited to the first 100 people to register.

Videos

Maddi Higgins was a 17-year old who died in a teen driving crash. Maddi's mother Carrie Higgins spoke at the first Drive With A Cop, where this video was first shown.

News Stories About Past "Drive With A Cop" Events

• Teens 'Drive with a cop' on the racetrack (KGW, Oct. 5, 2019)
• ‘Drive with a Cop’ Teaches Safe Driving (NACo, May. 26, 2019)
• Local teens get to 'Drive With a Cop' (Lake Oswego Review, Oct. 26, 2017)
• 'Drive with a cop' teaches young drivers safe driving (KOIN, Oct. 21, 2017)
• 'Drive with a Cop' pays tribute to teen victims (Wilsonville Spokesman, Oct. 28, 2015)
• Local mom organizes 'Drive With a Cop' after daughter's death (The Tennessean, Oct. 24, 2015)

The Firearms Training Unit (FTU) delivers proven, high-quality, and legally defensible training in marksmanship, gun handling, tactics, mindset, and the legal use of lethal force to the sworn members of the Sheriff's Office.

All training is designed to teach deputies to survive deadly-force encounters while simultaneously protecting the community and preserving citizens' civil rights.

Firearms Training Unit instruction is fully integrated with other skills areas of police work -- such as emergency vehicle operation, patrol tactics, and defensive tactics -- to give deputies all the force options and tools needed to successfully accomplish their assignments.

Training Safety

The Firearms Training Unit conducts training with a primary objective of making every deputy safe in their handling of weapons on the range, on the street, and in their own homes.

In developing courses of fire, each activity is analyzed for special safety considerations. A risk-benefit analysis is conducted to determine if training should be conducted, modified, or restructured. The ongoing in-service training conducted by the FTU for the instructors helps keep the training safety top notch, just as it keeps the instruction state of the art. FTU instructors are regularly called upon to serve as safety officers for other units such as SWAT, MEU, and Defensive Tactics.

One issue of firearms safety that the FTU recognizes and works to prevent is interlimb interaction. This can cause deputies under stressful conditions to unintentionally discharge their weapons. Interlimb interaction (also called sympathetic squeeze) is the involuntary contraction of an individual's hand and finger muscles. In law enforcement, we are very concerned with interlimb interaction as it relates to accidental discharges with firearms.

Deputies are issued a keypad activated safe for the secure storage of their sidearms. This is part of an effort by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office to ensure that deputies and their families are safe in their home.

Instructors

The FTU is led by a sergeant and is staffed with deputies from Patrol and Corrections. One deputy is assigned to the PSTC as the full time firearms instructor. That deputy is responsible for training planning, scheduling, and range maintenance as well as instruction. Certification of instructors comes through the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.

Nearly all of the instructors have attended both the NRA and the FBI's Firearms Instructor Courses. Additionally, the FTU has held in-service training from Insights Training, Yavapai Firearms Academy, Firearms Academy of Seattle, Jim Crews, and Stu Nakamura. Instructors have sought out additional training from Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, Heckler and Koch International Training Division, Ken Hackathorn, John Farnham, and Front Sight. This exposure to the top schools in the nation continues to ensure that the material being presented is of the finest quality and is grounded in most defensible theory.

Instructors on the FTU have been selected by a rigorous process and represent some of the most experienced members of the department. The most junior members of the unit have nearly 10 years of patrol experience. Several have extensive backgrounds in military operations and SWAT.

Equipment

Deputies are responsible for purchasing their own firearms. Deputies may carry weapons in 9mm, .40 caliber, and .45 caliber from Colt, Sig Sauer, Heckler and Koch, Smith and Wesson, Glock, and Ruger. Additionally, deputies are permitted to carry M1911's from Wilson, Les Baer, SVT, and similar manufacterers.

Deputies are issued the Remington 870 shotgun as their shoulder weapon.

Deputies are permitted to purchase their own .223 AR-15 patrol rifle for carry. Deputies are permitted to purchase AR-15's made by Colt, Armalite, Olympic Arms, and Bushmaster. Those deputies receive specialized training in the employment of that weapon prior to deploying the weapon and then receive additional ongoing training for the AR-15.

Some deputies are armed with the Pepperball Non Lethal system. Pepperball systems fire high speed "paintball" type projectiles that are filled with oleoresin capsicum powder. Propulsion of the rounds comes from high pressure gas. Specialized projectiles are carried for some situations like a glass breaking round and a water-filled impact round.

The holiday shopping season is in full swing. To help keep your holiday safe and happy the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office offers the following tips for shoppers:

Shopping at Stores or Malls

• Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.
• Don't overburden yourself with packages.
• Take extra care with purses and wallets. Carry your purse close to your body. Keep your wallet in an inside coat pocket, front pants pocket or zippered pocket. Don't leave your purse or wallet in your vehicle. Thieves may watch women exiting their vehicles to see if they are carrying a purse or not. (Watch a video public-safety announcement on this subject.)
• Never leave your purse unattended in a shopping cart on a countertop.
• Don't carry large amounts of cash. Bring just one debit or credit card and avoid leaving it out where others can read it.
• Park your car as close to your destination as possible. Make sure packages are locked in the trunk, out of sight. If you are going to continue shopping, after placing items in the trunk, move your vehicle to another location in the parking lot.
• Try to shop during daylight hours, and when shopping at night, park in a well-lit area.
• When returning to your car, have your keys out and keep alert. Lock your doors as soon as you are inside the vehicle.
• Shop with others when possible.
• If shopping with small children, make sure they know what to do if they become separated from you inside a store or mall.
• Report suspicious activity to store/mall security or law enforcement.

Shopping Online

• Shop with known businesses.
• Obtain a phone number and address for the merchant, as an alternate way to contact them should there be problems with your order.
• Do not provide your Social Security number or driver's license number online -- this information is not needed to make a purchase.
• Conduct transactions on a secure server only.
• Make sure you understand all shipping charges, taxes and delivery dates.
• Have packages delivered to an address where they won't be left unattended for long periods of time.
• For more online shopping safety tips, go to the Federal Trade Commission's website.

The Crime Analysis Unit supports all Sheriff's Office divisions by studying, correlating and disseminating data.

Our crime analysts create victim and suspect profiles - looking for identifiable patterns and methods for specific crimes. Using these profiles, the unit then recommends patrol and detection methods that help catch offenders.

Analysts also do statistical reporting, manage computer systems and conduct data searches for all divisions.

For Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHL)

• Return to mail CHL info page
• Start a new online CHL application

K9 handler training

Our Sheriff’s Office K9 handlers are selected through a competitive process; human candidates must have at least five years’ experience as a police officer.

Once chosen, the dog and handler attend a six-week basic handler’s school. Once the team returns to service in Clackamas County, they spend their time training, responding to calls, searching for suspects and helping out our Patrol division and outside agencies with calls for service.

When are K9 teams needed?

The dogs are mostly used for their extraordinary senses of smell — although their keen hearing and ability to detect movement help with captures. K9 teams respond to the following incidents:

• Pursuits of suspects hiding from deputies
• Article, evidence or narcotics searches
• SWAT calls
• Residential or business alarms
• Premise checks
• High-risk traffic stops or pursuits

The K9 Unit also spends many hours on public demonstrations at schools, fairs, and community events.

Two of our former dogs, Mik and Nero, are featured in their own series of comic books.

2021 K9 team stats

From the 2021 CCSO Year in Review:

• 7 K9 teams
• 716 total deployments
• 826 total activities during deployments (building searches, area searches, vehicle sniff checks, etc.)
• 818 total hours deployed
• 170 total evidence items found

The goals of the EVO program are:

1. To teach drivers the skills they need to perform their jobs safely and efficiently while operating an emergency vehicle.
2. To help enable drivers to safeguard lives and property through the use of good judgement during emergency vehicle operation.
3. To minimize the risk to life and injury through the use of innovative and realistic techniques for avoiding and minimizing collisions.

These goals are met by instructing students not only the physical aspect of driving, but also the mental aspect. Instructors attempt to change the mindset of drivers from "Defensive" driving (simply reacting to events occurring around them), to that of being "Proactive" (an active participant). By making important decisions and having the vehicle move the way a driver wants it to, they are not forced to simply sit back and hold on in the event of an emergency.

Topics

• Basic Emergency Vehicle Operations Course
• Pursuit Emergency Vehicle Operations Course
• Pursuit Intervention Technique
• Proactive Driving (for non-sworn/non-police employees)
• Other classes that can be tailored to the needs of departments/agencies

All instructors are certified through DPSST (the state agency regulating public pafety employees) after a three-week instructor school and 96-hour supervised field-instruction program. Course content involves mastery of driving techniques as well as classroom presentation, instruction methodology and the instructor development course. Instructors remain current on changing case law and laws/rules governing the operation of emergency vehicles and provide updates to department members. Instructors also provide annual in-service training to several departments within Clackamas County. Instructors are involved in selection and testing of new equipment relating to emergency vehicles.

All class and track material is portable and ready to travel at a moment's notice, so instruction may be taken to agencies/groups requesting instruction. Department instructors are highly qualified both in the classroom and at the track. Many instruct in several topics and have developed customized training plans to specifically address the needs of agencies. Over the past several years the Clackamas County Emergency Vehicle Operations instructors have instructed at departments throughout the metro area and beyond. Our instructors have received requests for instruction from the coast as well as central Oregon.

If you are looking for assistance, contact the Sheriff's Office Training Coordinator at 503-794-8071.

The Criminal Reconstruction and Forensic Technicians (CRAFT) Team is an inter-agency team with one full-time and 18 on-call Reconstructionists from 8 agencies operating in Clackamas County. The Clackamas County District Attorney's Office also has Deputy DAs assigned to the team.

CRAFT is on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to investigate fatal and serious-injury crashes in Clackamas County -- and assist our Patrol and Detective divisions with crime-scene investigations.

Training

CRAFT team members receive training in collision analysis, speed analysis, vehicle dynamics, occupant kinematics, scene photography, surveying equipment, crash-scene mapping, and computer-aided drawing programs.

They attend the Institute of Police Technology Management at the University of North Florida for a minimum of 240 hours of initial training.

They stay current in accident-investigation trends by attending various training courses and conferences throughout their career.

CRAFT members currently have active memberships in the Forensic Accident Reconstructionists of Oregon, Accident Reconstruction Network and EDR Experts.

Tools and Techniques

CRAFT team members examine and analyze the roadway, physical evidence, and vehicle damage to reconstruct crashes and diagram crime scenes using the latest technology in the forensics field.

The FARO X330 Laser Scanner is able to capture and create a 3D image of the scene allowing CRAFT Reconstructionists to accurately depict what occurred.

The Bosch Crash Data Retrieval Tool allows CRAFT to gather information from vehicles involved in crashes, making the process highly accurate. This information is then entered into FARO Zone 3D software and an accurate animation is created to show exactly what happened in the crash and why.

Mapping these scenes often requires at least a portion of roadway to be shut down while investigators do their work -- in order to protect the evidence and maintain safety for the investigators. The Sheriff's Office recognizes the inconvenience that roadway closures may cause, and makes every effort to reroute traffic and re-open the roadway as soon as possible.

FARO laser-scanning technology helps to limit this road-closure time by speeding up the process while at the same time making it more accurate -- and at a higher level of detail -- than any other method being used around the country.

After the on-scene investigation is complete, the lead investigator is responsible for completing the follow-up investigation. Investigative tasks may include obtaining search warrants for evidence, interviewing drivers, victims, and witnesses, obtaining medical records, downloading and analyzing the collision-related electronic data from the involved vehicles, analyzing headlight filaments, processing blood evidence, and more.

Many of these investigations require a mathematical reconstruction in order to determine vehicle speed, direction, momentum, etc.

The ultimate goal of an investigation is to determine the proximate cause of the collision and to hold those responsible for the collision accountable for their actions by forwarding the case to the appropriate prosecuting authority.

Thank you for your interest in purchasing a Sheriff's Office shoulder patch. We charge $7 for each patch.

To order a patch:

1. Print this form and fill it out with your patch selection(s) and return address.
2. Mail form with payment to:

   Clackamas County Sheriff's Office
   attn: Jenny Nelson
   2223 Kaen Rd.
   Oregon City, OR 97045-4080

Payment must be included in the form of a check or money order made out to Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

Important Note: Oregon Law (specifically, ORS 162.367) classifies Impersonating a Peace Officer as a Felony. This includes wearing a law-enforcement uniform (defined in part as clothing bearing words such as "police," "sheriff," "state trooper" or "law enforcement," or clothing that is substantially similar to an official uniform). Clackamas County Sheriff's Office patches are offered for private display only -- NOT for wear on clothing or uniforms or to represent the bearer as a law-enforcement officer or employee of the Sheriff's Office.

• The quality of our Jail is continually being evaluated. Each year, for example, a Grand Jury is convened to listen to testimony and inspect the county's Jail, Correctional Facility and Juvenile Intake Center. The Jail has also been audited and assessed by the National Institute of Corrections and the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association.
• The Oregon Jail Standards Board awarded the Clackamas County Jail a 97.4-percent compliance rating - one of the highest grades in the state.
• The Jail employs 127 full and part-time employees.
• Approximately 16,000 offenders are booked into and processed at the Clackamas County Jail annually.
• The Jail spends approximately $12,000 per month for inmate medications. The majority of this cost is for psychotropic medications serving the 18-20% average daily inmate population who suffer from mental-health issues.
• The Jail's kitchen serves roughly 36,000 meals per month. The average cost is 91 cents per meal, which only covers the food costs.
• The Jail provides its own laundry service using inmate labor. The annual savings is about $50,000 per year versus contracting this service.
• The Sheriff's Electronic Home Detention program monitors prisoners remotely using electronic ankle bracelets - freeing up as many as 100 Jail beds per day.
• The Jail provides inmates with AA/NA meetings, religious services, adult basic-education and life-skills opportunities, and an inmate law library.