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Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (Portland, OR)

Population: 647,810 | Number of Full-Time Prosecutors: 78 | Contact Information

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (MCDA) is enhancing its Strategic Prosecution and Services Unit (SPSU) so it can focus on violent high volume system users (HVSUs) who require specialized approaches. MCDA is hiring a Project Deputy District Attorney (DDA) who will be assigned to the SPSU.

Downtown Portland has seen an increase in violent crime by HVSUs who generate multiple calls for service from the community and are frequently arrested. With an IPS grant, the MCDA will maintain manageable caseload sizes by transferring open HVSU cases to the new project DDA. MCDA also seeks to lower violent HVSU arrest rates by referring offenders to community services. The Project DDA will strengthen community partnerships by attending meetings with community stakeholders, such as neighborhood associations, business groups, law enforcement agencies, and community service providers.

The newly hired DDA is using data tracking software to input and track HVSU information, sentences, probation compliance, social service referrals, and overall project performance. MCDA’s Research and Evaluation Unit will complete an analysis of the data collected using CRIMES records to track the success and failure of identified HVSUs