Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Kaiser has spent more than three decades helping people. It’s what he dreamed of as a child. 

“I’ve wanted to be a cop since I was five, when my uncle got pulled over on his motorcycle. I was riding with him, and I didn’t have a helmet on,” Deputy Kaiser said. “I remember my uncle being upset about the ticket and I thought, ‘How cool is that police officer!’” 

That early impression stuck with him despite challenges he faced. Raised by a single mother, Deputy Kaiser experienced many hardships — circumstances that could have pushed his life in a very different direction. Instead, he chose service. 

While out on patrol on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, his instinct to serve and protect surfaced. Kaiser, now the Community Resource Deputy for Corbett, spotted a semi‑truck driver struggling to navigate the narrow approach to the Stark Street Bridge — a historic structure repeatedly damaged by oversized trucks. 

“I had a strong suspicion he was going to try to drive his truck onto the Stark Street Bridge,” Deputy Kaiser said. “I just wanted to make sure he was safe and chose a different route.” 

The bridge, which spans the Sandy River, is more than 110 years old and just 18 feet wide. After repeated crashes, including one in October 2025, the county closed it to trucks weighing more than 19 tons. However, many GPS services still route commercial vehicles across it, creating a persistent hazard. 

Deputy Kaiser stopped the driver — not to cite him, but to help. With what colleagues describe as his trademark good humor, he reassured the driver: “You’re not in trouble. You’re not being detained. You’re free to go, but I’m here to help you.” 

Using his patrol laptop, Kaiser helped the driver find a legal, safer route from the Historic Columbia River Highway side toward Boring, Oregon.  

“When you’ve done this a long time, you get a second sense about these things,” he said. 

This is how Deputy Kaiser has shown up for each patrol shift since 1993.  

Deputy Kaiser began his law enforcement career with the Sun River Police Department and later served in the Fairview Police Department. He has been a valued member of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office since 2017, when the City of Fairview began contracting with MCSO. 

Deputy Kaiser’s ability to connect with people, whether a stranded truck driver or a frustrated resident, is rooted in his own lived experience. 

Growing up without stable housing, he learned early what it felt like to be overlooked. Those years shaped the way he approaches his work. Today, Deputy Kaiser puts on his badge with patience, humility and a deep respect for the people he serves. 

One early childhood memory shaped his life and instilled in Deputy Kaiser the belief that law enforcement could be a force for good — a steady presence for people who don’t always have one. Which is precisely what he’s become for Multnomah County residents.