QuickTake:

Lane County Sheriff Cliff Harrold, in office since 2019, will become the security manager of PeaceHealth’s Oregon network beginning May 19.

Lane County Sheriff Cliff Harrold is turning in his badge and leaving office for a new role as security manager of PeaceHealth’s Oregon network. 

Harrold, sheriff since 2019, will retire from that role effective May 16. Harrold’s office and PeaceHealth announced his retirement and the new role in separate releases Thursday. 

He starts his job just three days later on May 19. 

The retirement marks the end of more than three decades in law enforcement, primarily in the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, which started when he became a cadet in the sheriff’s office. He also briefly worked as a dispatcher for the Cottage Grove Police Department and became a deputy in 1995, working in myriad roles since then, including patrol, SWAT, traffic control and corrections.

Harrold, 51, was appointed sheriff in 2019 and elected in 2020. Lane County voters reelected him in 2024. 

In an open letter to Lane County residents, Harrold said the new role will allow him to continue to serve the public and spend more time with his family. 

“It is with much thought and consideration that I have decided to retire from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office effective May 16,” Harrold said in the letter.  “After 35 years, I am ready to step back and contemplate what the future looks like for myself and my family. It has been an honor to work with all the incredible men and women who make up the Lane County Sheriff’s Office.” 

Harrold is joining a health care provider with a presence throughout the Pacific Northwest. The nonprofit Catholic health system has hospitals and clinics in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. In Lane County, PeaceHealth has hospitals in Florence, Cottage Grove and Springfield. 

PeaceHealth’s footprint in Lane County is wide — and growing. PeaceHealth recently put its University District property up for sale in downtown Eugene and is planning to expand its Springfield campus with a psychiatric services hospital. PeaceHealth also has clinics in Creswell, Eugene and Pleasant Hill. 

Harrold’s security manager role will include protecting staff and patients and developing programs and tools to prevent workplace violence. PeaceHealth has an Oregon workforce of more than 5,000 people.

“Cliff brings the exact blend of experience we need in this role,” said Alicia Beymer, chief administrative officer for Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, in a press release. “His experience in law enforcement and his existing connections with local agencies will prove invaluable as we look to strengthen our culture of safety.”

Lane County commissioners will determine the process for appointing the next sheriff. Commissioners will start talking about that in a regular meeting planned for Tuesday, May 6.

For now, Chief Deputy Carl Wilkerson will fill the sheriff’s role.

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.