M.C.S.O.

The Multnoman County Sheriff's Department, or MCSO, was established in February 1854. In 1960, the Sheriff's Office created the River Patrol Unit, which has grown to be the largest river patrol division in the state.

In the past, as recently as the 1980s, the position was essentially the "top cop" in the county, performing law enforcement for the bulk of the county's population.

As of 2009, however, as the unincorporated areas of the county have diminished, 85% of sheriff's office employees work in corrections rather than law enforcement.