Undersheriff Caprice Massey will serve as Washington County Sheriff beginning December 1

Acting on their authority under Oregon law and Washington County ordinance, the Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously today to appoint Undersheriff Caprice Massey as Sheriff, upon the retirement of current Sheriff Pat Garrett.

Garrett is retiring after serving a notable 35-year career with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. In September, Garrett notified the board of his intention to retire on November 30, along with his recommendation that they appoint Massey as his successor. The board met with Garrett and Massey at their work session on September 26 to discuss the proposal and necessary steps to transfer leadership.

Today, the board passed a Resolution and Order appointing Caprice Massey as Washington County Sheriff, beginning December 1, 2023. In their decision, the board also waived any requirement to conduct a recruitment or appointment process. The decision was based on the need to provide a smooth transition for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, avoiding the time and expense necessary to conduct an effective appointment process and the board’s belief that such a process would be unlikely to produce a candidate as well-prepared and knowledgeable as Massey.

Massey began her career at the Sheriff’s Office in 2004 as a corrections deputy in the Jail and has risen through the ranks holding such positions as senior corrections deputy, jail corporal, jail sergeant, lieutenant, jail commander, patrol commander and most recently that of undersheriff. She has also served as a field training officer, survival skills instructor and recruitment sergeant. Undersheriff Massey is a graduate of the FBI National Police Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

As stated by Board Chair Kathryn Harrington, “We made history today in the appointment of the first woman to ever lead the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. I have full confidence in Caprice Massey and her wide-ranging experience and background in law enforcement. She also has extensive institutional knowledge and proven leadership ability. I look forward to working with her to help maintain the high level of service and professionalism that our community expects and deserves.”

During the board meeting today, Undersheriff Massey had this to say, “I have and will continue to answer the call to serve our community. I have been honored to serve in the Navy for nine years. I was in the Army Reserve for two years and with another law enforcement agency on the East coast for four—but my home has become Washington County. I’ve been here for almost 20 years. I’ve been given opportunities to serve in so many different ways and you will see no change in that. My priorities continue to be collaboration and relationships, our incredible, professional staff at the Sheriff’s Office and the incredibly diverse communities we serve.”

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has a mission of conserving the peace through values-driven service and a vision of enhancing public safety by fostering a culture of professionalism, compassion and trust within the communities it serves and among its employees. The Sheriff’s Office manages Washington County’s only jail, serves as the primary first responder for law enforcement services in rural and urban unincorporated areas and for the cities of Banks, Cornelius, Gaston and North Plains. The Sheriff’s Office is supported by a $170.4 million annual budget and is staffed by 618 full-time equivalent employees serving a diverse and growing countywide population of 606,219 on the western side of the Portland metropolitan area. More information about the Washington County Sheriff’s Office can be found at: https://www.washingtoncountyor.gov/sheriff.