Neighborhood prosecutors attend community meetings to listen to the concerns of community members, develop and implement innovative strategies to prevent crime and educate the public, provide information and training to police officers on prosecutorial issues, and propose new legislation to help solve problems in the community.  The NDA Unit helped to develop and maintains several problem solving programs, such as the Prostitution Coordination Team, the Drug Impact Area Program, the Service Coordination Team and Community Court.

With financial support fromMultnomahCounty, the City ofPortland, federal grants, local business groups and Tri-Met, the program covers all neighborhoods in the county and the public transit system. In 2000, a tribute to the success of the program came from the U.S. Department of Justice when the Multnomah County DA’s Office was selected as one of two National Leadership Sites for its progressive work in community prosecution.  The definition of success has evolved.  Rather than simply tallying cases won or jail sentences imposed, the NDA Unit measures success by the reduction in crime in a particular neighborhood, improved quality of life for citizens and community confidence in the justice system.