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Sheriff Bernie Giusto

OREGON SHERIFF Magazine News

Bernie Giusto became Gresham's Police Chief on August 1, 1996. On May 21, 2002, Chief Guisto was elected Multnomah County Sheriff and he took office on January 2, 2003.

Before joining the Gresham Police Department, he was employed by the Oregon State Police for 22 years. In his most recent position, he served as Public Education Officer, Member of the Superintendent's Executive Staff, Policy and Political Advisor to the Superintendent, 1996 Superintendent's designee, and member of the Governor's Drug and Violent Crime Board. Since 1974, Sheriff Giusto worked in a variety of capacities including Trooper, Sergeant in Charge of the Planning and Research Unit, District Training Officer for the Northwestern Oregon State Police Operations, Governor's Security and Lieutenant for the Emergency Regional Dispatch Center while employed by the Oregon State Police.

In 1998, Governor Kitzhaber appointed Chief Guisto to the Tri-Met Board of Directors. He served on the Gresham City Council from 1989 to 1995 and was Council President for two years. While still a Chief, Sheriff Giusto also served as Council Liaison to the Sewer, Water and Solid Waste Citizen Advisory Committees. He was a member on the Metropolitan Human Rights Commission and the Minority Youth Concerns Action Program Board of Directors. Sheriff Giusto's many other community involvement activities include serving on the Multnomah County Commmission on Children and Families since 1993, Multnomah County Public Safety Coordinating Council since 1995, Regional Drug Initiative (RDI)/Gresham Area Prevention Partnership (GAPP), East County Community Caring, and Gresham's Progress Board. He served on the Board of Directors of the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police from 2000-2001. He is a member of the Computer Crimes Task Force recently established by the Oregon State Attorney General.

Bernie holds degrees in Political Science, and Urban and Regional Government from Willamette University. He also served in the United States Air Force Reserve and the Oregon National Guard.

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OREGON SHERIFF Magazine News

Winter, 2007 -- In late November, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Unit seized a large methamphetamine manufacturing lab in SE Portland. At the residence they discovered an amount of finished methamphetamine, 35 lbs of elemental iodine (essential methamphetamine manufacturing chemical), 6 lbs of red phosphorous (essential methamphetamine manufacturing chemical), a large quantity of other meth manufacturing chemicals, a 38 caliber pistol, 22 caliber rifle with silencer and a 22 caliber pistol with a silencer. Deputies arrested the resident, Ted Wayne Berardinelli.

Although this is only the third meth lab the Multnomah County Drug Lab Response Team has processed this year (prior to current pseudoephedrine legislation we processed 40 to 60 per year), this event demonstrates that some meth labs still exist in the community and citizens still should be diligent regarding behavior associated with such activity.

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