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CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY CREATING RESOLUTIONS THROUGH
UNDERSTANDING
We are stronger together. More than ever
before, public safety is a shared responsibility. The Crisis Negotiations Unit (CNU) responds
Cultivating relationships with the communities to calls alongside TNT with the special focus
we serve allows us to connect, better assess on establishing communication, gathering
needs and provide proactive crime prevention information, defusing emotions and
education. Connectivity is key to building increasing options in often rapidly evolving
trust and maintaining healthy relationships situations. CNU works to create peaceful
and is a dedicated responsibility of WCSO. resolutions during volatile situations by
Civilian Community Outreach Specialists establishing ongoing dialogue and rapport
work alongside our uniformed deputies to with the person or persons in crisis.
build relationships within our community and
provide ongoing public safety education.
COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE
INCREASING VICTIM SAFETY Deputies respond to a wide variety of calls
The Washington County Domestic Violence while out on patrol and often are called to
Resource Team (DVRT) is committed to assist individuals in crisis. Beginning as a
increasing victim safety and holding offenders pilot program launched in 2011, WCSO’s
accountable in all domestic violence cases. This Mental Health Response Team (MHRT) pairs a
collaborative interagency response considers Master’s level mental health clinician with law
the needs of victims and their children. The enforcement to provide crisis intervention
goal of intervention is to stop the cycle of and follow-up services. Riding in patrol car
violence with a focus of protecting the victim together, the teams respond in a caring and
from further harm. compassionate manner to those in crisis. With
the additional help, they are often able to
problem solve on scene, improve safety and
ALWAYS READY TO ANSWER THE CALL minimize risk of a situation escalating.
Certain calls for service or public safety
incidents may need an additional response. READY FOR ANY TERRAIN
WCSO’s Tactical Negotiation Team (TNT) or
S.W.A.T. is a highly trained and well-equipped Located approximately 20 miles west of
tactical team prepared to address any and Portland, Washington County’s 726 square
all high-risk public safety issues. The main miles of geography includes forests, urban
mission of this 30 member interagency team areas, agricultural lands and bodies of
is to conserve public safety during hazardous water. This diverse landscape is largely what
situations where conventional police tactics makes our area so special, as well as why our
and equipment may be inadequate. deputies are not limited to only one mode of
transportation. You may find our deputies in
In addition to being ready to respond and patrol cars, SUVs, traffic safety motorcycles,
trained to resolve complex issues, this team bicycles or even aboard one of our boats
is also dedicated to providing training to the patrolling Hagg Lake in the summer months.
community on ways to improve the safety
of our schools and work places. The team
facilitated 42 active threat trainings in 2017
as well as site security assessments on local
buildings.
35 | WCSO Patrol Division WCSO 2017 Annual Report | 36
