Portland has hit an unlikely obstacle to its new policy restricting where unhoused people can camp: the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
In a statement released Tuesday, Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said she will not use county jails to penalize people for not having a home.
Morrisey O’Donnell, who was first elected to a four-year term in 2022, said the reason for refusal is both ideological and technical.
“Incarceration is a costly, short-term measure that fails to address the complex underlying issues,” she said in her written statement Tuesday.
She also said that the city never contacted her office to request that the new camping ordinance be included as a “bookable offense” with the county. This step is required because, under state law, Multnomah County isn’t expected to book or jail people for violating city ordinances, only felony or misdemeanor offenses.
Full story: Multnomah County Sheriff says she won’t use jails to criminalize homelessness under Portland camping policy