Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office

"A safe and thriving community for everyone”

Values & Principles

Without exception, employees of this agency will protect the rights of citizens and adhere to the following values and principles:

• We practice unwavering compassion
• We serve everyone with dignity and respect
• We believe in fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people
• We hold ourselves and each other accountable as we strive for continuous improvement
• We have the courage to do what is right and just
• We believe all voices should be heard and valued
• We are dedicated to an environment of safety, trust, and belonging in which all of our employees can thrive

About Sheriff Reese

Sheriff Michael Reese started his law enforcement career in 1989 as a Deputy Sheriff with the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. Five years later, he transferred to the Portland Police Bureau as part of an East Portland annexation. He worked his way through the ranks, serving as an officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, commander and ultimately Chief of Police. He held the position for four years, becoming one of the longest-standing chiefs in the Bureau’s history. In 2015, Reese retired. Reese left retirement to serve as the interim director of the Citizen’s Crime Commission, before being appointed interim Sheriff in 2016.

After winning the general election later that year, Reese was officially sworn-in as the 40^th Multnomah County Sheriff. “As your Sheriff, I will do my very best to lead this agency through difficult challenges ahead, and to provide exceptional service to the citizens of Multnomah County,” Sheriff Reese said at the swear-in ceremony.

Sheriff Reese believes public safety is a time-honored profession, one that is aligned with community values, adopts and adheres to systems of accountability and furthers community trust. He is committed to building trust in the Sheriff’s Office, improving County-wide public safety and public health issues, such as gun violence, substance abuse, creating a more equitable and fair criminal justice system while reducing incarceration and recidivism rates and addressing their root causes.

Reese graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelors in Science in Psychology and later an Executive Master of Public Administration. Reese lives in Portland, and is a marathoner, musician and is an avid sailor. Reese is married and a father to three daughters.