The Communications Center responds to emergency and non-emergency calls and other requests for service 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Effective communications support is essential for the management of patrol, investigative and planning functions of the department.  

Response time reports, call activity, incident frequencies, crime analysis data and operations reports depend on information derived from the calls for service.  This Unit is the department’s first point of contact for local, state, and national disasters and monitors / responds accordingly using various broadcasting and alerting systems.  

The Communications Center monitors after-hours courthouse security and provides dispatch support to US Forest Service law enforcement officers.

As the hub for Sheriff's Office and contract dispatch communication services, Communications Officers conduct initial assessment of requests and apply guidelines that screen the nature and urgency of incoming calls. The guidelines are a reflection of the Sheriff's policy, developed through a strategic plan and a balancing of resources, requiring uniform public safety access in unincorporated Lane County.

This "triage" results in a prioritization of those requests. Many services previously associated with the Sheriff's patrol function have been reduced through budget processes. The Sheriff's Office focus has, by necessity, become directed at emergency or immediate life threatening incidents. Property crime and social nuisance issues, while still important in the Sheriff's Office service profile, will be deferred based on the ability to send a deputy to the problem.

As continuing social issues impact government, the Sheriff's Command group will be required to adjust response protocols that will impact service levels.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for issuing concealed handgun licenses (CHL) to county residents. Community members wanting a concealed handgun license must complete an application and meet all requirements before a license can be obtained.

The Sheriff’s Office Professional Standards office is responsible for maintaining the standards set by the agency. These responsibilities include updating policy when necessary and completing internal investigations when employees of the Sheriff’s Office are suspected of violating those policies. Professional Standards office is a vital part of maintaining the communities trust by holding all employees to the expectations of the community and the agency. The office handles complaints from the public, internally, other agencies and can be made in person, over the phone or via email/mail.

You can reach the Office of Professional Standards at 541-682-4150, option 6, option 1.  For additional information, please visit the Commendation and Complaints webpage.

The Police Records Unit consists of Police Records, Civil Records, Concealed Handgun Licensing and Central Reception.  This Unit processes and maintains accurate law enforcement records for public inspection, crime analysis, investigation, apprehension, prosecution and contractual, statutory and reporting requirements including for state and federal agencies.  The Police Records Unit also processes, maintains, and confirms all warrants held by the Sheriff's Office, and arranges extradition for prisoners arrested outside of Oregon on Lane County warrants.  

The Police Records Unit issues various licenses and permits,  photographs and fingerprints (mug-and-print) individuals as ordered by the courts, and provides fingerprinting services for the general public.  The Police Records Unit is also responsible for vehicle impounds; mailing the required notification to registered owners, and releasing vehicles when owners respond to the Sheriff's Office.  For additional information, visit the Police Records webpage.

The Property/Evidence Unit is responsible for the collection, preservation, storage, management and final disposition of all evidence collected by both the Sheriff's Office and Lane County Parole/Probation.  Many of the items lodged in the unit are processed through the OSP Forensics Laboratory system, while others are processed internally.  This Unit also responds to major crime scenes to assist investigators with the proper collection and documentation of evidence and may also be called upon to assist with the County's Major Crime Team in support of other police agencies. Additionally, the Property/Evidence Unit is responsible for maintaining an active purge system to maximize use of Department resources, while either returning property to its owner in a timely fashion, legally converting property to County use or destroying it. 

The Sheriff’s Office training section maintains all training records for both sworn and non-sworn employees. All training completed by sworn personnel is reported to DPSST for tracking purposes. The Training section is responsible for making sure all sworn employees meet DPSST’s annual and three year training standards. This includes training in areas like Use of Force/Firearms, Mental Health, Ethics and other trainings required by DPSST. Training section provides guidance on annual training plans for all divisions within the Sheriff’s Office. All training records are kept in accordance with state and local laws.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office communications program supports the LCSO dispatch center, LCSO UHF and VHF radio systems, and the Tri-County (Lane, Linn, Benton) Shared P25 Trunked radio system.  LCSO also owns and operates 6 communications sites end to end, plus equipment in over 20 other leased space sites.  The LCSO owned sites house County, State, Federal and Private communications systems to include: Public Safety Radio, SCADA, Networking, Backhaul, Wild Fire Detection, Seismic Monitoring, and a rural community wireless internet service provider.  The communications personnel support end to end services enabling reliable communications from the Coast to the Cascades.