2022 WCSO Annual Report - Report - Page 5
Our detectives work hard to bring
closure for victims and their families,
no matter how long it takes. In
November, investigators solved a
48-year-old double homicide and
arrested the suspect responsible for
the murders.
Our Tactical Negotiations Team
responded to 122 call-outs. In
March, the team assisted Hillsboro
Police with a robbery & kidnapping
suspect, armed with a shotgun
and barricaded inside the victim’s
apartment. The team worked to
de-escalate the situation through
the wet, cold night. Their patience
and professionalism resolved the
incident without the use of force,
and the victim and surrounding
community remained unharmed.
This past year jail staff booked 13,980
adults into custody, averaging
almost 40 bookings a day, even with
thin staffing. A jail open to booking all
arrests is critical to help police resolve
public safety emergencies when
they happen. The jail staff’s professional treatment of those in custody
is also notable. I received a letter of
appreciation this past summer from
an individual after their release from
jail, commending the staff’s professionalism, courtesy, and respect they
witnessed while in jail.
Deputies arrested 614 intoxicated
drivers. Driving intoxicated has
tragic consequences and ruins
lives – many of our deputies are
trained as drug recognition experts
to detect impairment in drivers from
multiple intoxicants.
Detectives investigated 2,733 child
abuse reports, averaging more than
eight every day. While these challenging cases take a toll on our staff,
investigators prioritize this work to
keep children in our community safe.
Our Mental Health Response Team
responded with skill and compassion
to 3,643 critical calls to support
those in our community with mental
illness or in crisis, helping them get
the medical assistance they need,
often instead of being taken to jail.
The Westside Interagency Narcotics
team dismantled numerous drug
trafficking organizations. We have
witnessed the deadly consequences
of drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine, among others, and we
remain vigilant to stop the trafficking
of these dangerous drugs into our
community.
Because of the drastic rise in calls
involving opioid overdose cases,
deputies carry Naloxone to reverse
the drugs’ deadly effects. This
past year, staff successfully used
Naloxone in two cases in the jail
and 56 on patrol, accounting for
numerous lives saved.
According to the FBI’s National
Incident-Based Reporting
System, Washington County
has the lowest combined crime
rate of Oregon’s five most
populated counties. We still
live in a safe place because of
our exceptional staff and caring
community.
I ask you to share your feedback
with us, favorable or not; your
insight and experiences help
us improve and best serve you.
You can do so on our website at
WCSOOregon.org.
Striving to be the best in public
safety means recruiting the
most well-rounded, agile,
community-minded individuals
to be part of our team, whether
serving in uniform or in some
other meaningful way. If you
are ready to join our team and
make a positive difference in
our community, please visit
our website, joinWCSO.com, to
learn more.
I could not be more proud
of our deputies and other
professional staff for their hard
work to keep you safe and
without whom none of this vital
work would be possible.
Sheriff Pat Garrett
WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
2022 Annual Report
WCSOOregon.org
3
