Every year during the first week of May, Multnomah County holds the annual Employee Recognition Awards in conjunction with Public Service Recognition Week. County employees are doing excellent work every day and in every facet of this organization -- work that deserves to be recognized. The awards allow us to honor the work that all county employees perform in service to our community.
This year, the Sustainability Award was awarded to the Department of Community Justice (DCJ) Bike Team.
By conducting their community outreach on bicycles, the DCJ Bike Team has accessed homeless communities not easily accessible to officers in cage-cars. Their presence is more trauma-informed and their appearance less threatening than officers in cars. This has allowed the DCJ Bike Team to engage in meaningful ways with some of the most resistant and difficult to serve members of our community. By riding bicycles instead of cars, the DCJ Bike Team lessens its impact on traffic congestion and carbon emissions, and serves as role models for living a healthy and active lifestyle.
An added benefit is that officers on the DCJ Bike Team report higher rates of praise and positive encounters with community members, increased physical health, and lower rates of stress.
Congratulations, DCJ Bike Team, and thank you for your positive impact in our community!