We asked local criminal justice professionals to reflect on 2019 accomplishments and look forward into 2020 and what they hope to accomplish in the next year. Here are their responses, some edited for brevity:

Bend Police Chief Jim Porter

Q. What do you view as the best accomplishment of 2019 and why?

A. Bend PD was recognized as a leader in policing on a nationwide scale. Our model of community-based policing and employee engagement was the lead example in a report to the United States Congress and is being shared in trainings hosted by the International Chiefs of Police Association and Federal Department of Justice throughout the United States. Our community surveys tell us between 83% — 85% of citizens trust us, in comparison to the national surveys reflecting those numbers in the mid-50th percentile, validating our policing model.

Q. What do you believe can be accomplished in 2020?

A. Improving how and when we deliver services. We have implemented many unique programs, being duplicated by others, in need of refinement and increased fiscal support. As an example, the improvement of the downtown area was in part driven by time and crime data. In partnership with Deschutes County 911 a new computer dispatching software system is being implemented to improve our ability to capture real-time data on what we do, but more importantly on how we do it. This data in combination with community feedback will provide a clear vision on how to improve our services.

Q. What pressing issue needs to be addressed in 2020?

A. Criminal behavior and challenging societal issues cross all established boundaries, which is even more evident in a regional urban center like Bend. Our trusted relationships with the Bend-La Pine Schools, Bend Fire & Rescue, COCC, (the) district attorney’s office, Deschutes County Behavioral Health, St. Charles Bend, Downtown Bend Business Association, Latino Community Association, neighborhood associations, our public safety partners and many more have resulted in successful outcomes. Competing over responsibility is a drain on resources and is counterproductive. Moving forward, resource management through increased partnerships needs to be our priority.

Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel

Q. What do you view as the best accomplishment of 2019 and why?

A. Holding Estevan Garcia and Sacora Horn-Garcia accountable for starving to death Maliyha Garcia was the best accomplishment for the District Attorney’s office.

Q. What do you believe can be accomplished in 2020?

A. In 2020, we can continue to raise awareness of the problem of domestic violence in Deschutes County and equip people to help their friends and neighbors who are experiencing abuse at the hands of a loved one.

Q. What pressing issue needs to be addressed in 2020?

A. As a community we need to better understand the interrelatedness of housing, transportation, health and public safety. Working together to address our region’s housing, transportation and health challenges will produce a healthier and safer community. (tncms-asset)c9671192-0a14-5323-943d-52783e103924[2](/tncms-asset)

Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson

Q. What do you view as the best accomplishment of 2019 and why?

A. The office’s proudest accomplishment has been successfully building on our strong relationship we have with our community. This is a direct result of the hard work of my teammates. The support and trust we have from our citizens is crucial to providing public safety and service as well as maintaining livability in our county.

Q. What do you believe can be accomplished in 2020?

A. My hope is the state of Oregon will get better enforcement of and clearer regulations over hemp. Right now hemp and marijuana are difficult to distinguish between since only the THC content is different. They are overseen by two different state agencies who need to work closely together and come up with ways to regulate the two in tandem.

Q. What pressing issue needs to be addressed in 2020?

A. Mental health issues and law enforcement’s best response in our jail and on patrol. Public safety and our deputies’ safety will always be paramount, and we have to have ways to divert individuals away from the criminal justice system when appropriate and offer services that assist them in becoming productive citizens. This requires expanding state and federal mental health services. If individuals can be helped it will reduce contact with law enforcement and incarceration. We do the best we can by offering mental health professionals and programs in our jail and by partnering with Behavioral Health in our Stabilization Center. Our two Community Action Target Team deputies will have a responsibility to partner with the Mobile Crisis Assessment Team to visit and maintain a relationship with those individuals affected by mental health issues and have a high number of contacts with our office. This will provide an opportunity to guide them to services and have an effect before the problem grows.

Crook County Sheriff John Gautney

Q. What do you view as the best accomplishment of 2019 and why?

A. Well obviously this is going to be a close-to-home answer because the largest accomplishment in our county this year has been the historical opening of the new jail facility. I say historical because this new facility was the first in Crook County in many, many years and was many years overdue. This has allowed Crook County to keep all (its) inmates in Crook County, which keeps our taxpayer dollars here at home in our county rather than sending them to another county. The new facility has allowed our corrections staff to bring programs into the jail. That is helpful for the inmates to be able to participate in drug and alcohol counselling and other programs like relationship building. These programs are very beneficial to the health and well-being of the inmates that are incarcerated at the jail. The new jail facility has made it possible for the courts to hold offenders accountable for their behavior by being able to house a person that is not safe to be returned to the community at the present time. This has greatly reduced the number of offenders that are walking the street rather than being in custody due to lack of jail beds.

Q. What do you believe can be accomplished in 2020?

A. I believe one important thing that needs to be accomplished in 2020 is that the state Legislature needs to re-look at the funding issues involving community corrections and provide adequate funding so that our community corrections deputies have the ability to effectively supervise the ever increasing number of parole and probation clients. This funding was cut way short of the required amount of funding in the 2019 legislative session, requiring some community corrections offices around the state to have to reduce services they are able to offer to their clients. I hope this issue will be corrected in the upcoming short session.

Q. What pressing issue needs to be addressed in 2020?

A. I think one of the biggest issues that needs serious attention in the coming year is the need to fix the problem with using our county jails as a substitute as a mental health facility. Jails are not properly equipped to handle the mental health issues that we are being required to take care of. Many of these people do not belong in the jail, however the communities and the state are not stepping up to provide resources that are needed to be helping get these folks stabilized and out of the criminal justice system. There needs to be better funding for the medical needs of the jails so that we have adequate nursing and doctor care at the facility in order to provide for the ever increasing needs of the inmates that have medical and/or mental health needs. Along this same line of thought, insurance systems need to be revamped to allow continuing coverage of pre-trial inmates that are in the jail facility. Currently when a person is brought into custody they lose their insurance coverage as soon as they come into the jail. The county has to cover all medical costs that the inmate may require at that point. This would help reduce some of the county taxpayer costs as these medical costs can be quite high and come right out of the jail budget. These issues need to be addressed, and as soon as possible because they are driving the cost of operating a jail to the point of unmanageable.

Criminal defense attorney Tom Crabtree

Q. What do you view as the best accomplishment of 2019 and why?

A. The best accomplishment in 2019 was negotiating the best ever contract for Crabtree & Rahmsdorff in our 38-year history. It allows the firm to reduce caseloads, significantly increase payroll (though still nowhere near the DAs’ level) and secures the future for a strong public defender’s office in Deschutes County.

Q. What do you believe can be accomplished in 2020?

A. Hopefully having the office grow stronger with the addition of new personnel and reduced workloads for existing staff (and me enjoying my retirement).

Q. What pressing issue needs to be addressed in 2020?

A. The Legislature following through with their promise to reform indigent defense.