Linn County

Sheriff Michelle Duncan began her law enforcement career in 1996 as a Corrections Officer at the Oregon State Penitentiary. She was hired by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office in 1997 as a patrol deputy for the residency of Mill City. 

In 2004, Sheriff Duncan was assigned to detectives specializing in narcotics investigations. She was then promoted to Patrol Sergeant in 2008. She continued moving up through the ranks, serving as Patrol Lieutenant, Patrol Captain and Undersheriff before she was appointed as the 41^st Sheriff of Linn County in 2022. She was elected to the Office of Sheriff later that year.

Sheriff Duncan has a wide range of experience. She has served as an instructor for the agency and has led both the Defensive Tactics Team and Field Training and Evaluation Programs for training new patrol deputies. She has served as the Incident Commander on major events such as the Willamette Country Music Festival and 2020 Wildfires. Additionally, Duncan has served as the Public Information Officer since 2015.

Sheriff Duncan currently serves on the Northwest Accreditation Alliance Board and the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training Police Policy Committee. Additionally, Sheriff Duncan serves on the executive board of the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association as the Treasurer. She is on several committees for the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association. 

Sheriff Duncan is married and has two adult children and resides in Millersburg. One of her favorite hobbies is backpacking in the mountains of the beautiful Northwest.