Former Portland Police Chief Mike Reese Will Now Run State Prisons

Gov. Tina Kotek announced his appointment, which also shakes up the Portland mayor’s race.

Sheriff Mike Reese Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese. (Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County) (Montoya Nakamura)
By Lucas Manfield

Mike Reese, the former Portland police chief and Multnomah County sheriff, has been appointed to run the Oregon Department of Corrections.

Gov. Tina Kotek announced his appointment this morning. “He has an unparalleled record within the public safety sector for being a collaborator and a problem solver, guided by justice, equity, and a commitment to uphold the public’s trust,” she said in a press release.

Reese worked in law enforcement in the Portland area for 30 years, beginning as a deputy in the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in 1989 before joining the Portland Police Bureau in 1994 and retiring as chief in 2015. He was then elected sheriff the following year and retired, again, in 2022.

In that long law enforcement career, he’s probably best known for evicting the Occupy Portland protests that camped out in downtown parks in 2011.

Now, he’s back once again, running the state’s beleaguered prisons. ODOC is short corrections staff, and a state-commissioned report released earlier this year found widespread problems at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, the women’s prison, including retaliation and sexual misconduct. Advocates are now calling for the Wilsonville facility to be closed.

Prior to taking the state position, Reese was considering a run for Portland mayor.




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