Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) is enlisting the help of state police to assist Portland Police with the violence plaguing the city, as detailed in her “unified law enforcement plan” designed to “protect free speech and bring violence and arson to an end in Portland.”
Brown released a “unified law enforcement plan” on Sunday, which recruits additional resources to the city from the local, state, and federal levels.
A release from the governor’s office details the request for assistance from various entities, including the Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices, Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, City of Gresham Police Department, and Oregon State Police.
According to the plan, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office will “work with system partners to hold individuals booked for violent behavior, and to ensure that there is adequate jail space to hold such individuals,” while the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office will “prosecute serious criminal offenses, including arson and physical violence.”
Oregon State Police will also support Portland Police by offering both personnel and resources, which will “free up the Portland Police Bureau’s investigative capabilities to arrest and charge those engaging in violent acts.”
Additionally:
The Governor is asking Clackamas and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices and the City of Gresham Police Department to support the Portland Police Bureau with personnel and resources to keep the peace and protect free speech.
Oregon State Police have offered over two dozen body cameras and associated evidence management to the Portland Police Bureau, and the Bureau will evaluate their use. The City of Portland has agreed to indemnify Clackamas and Washington Counties and the City of Gresham for law enforcement assistance. In addition, the Mayor will seek financial resources to reimburse these jurisdictions for their support.
The United States Attorney and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will commit additional resources for investigation of criminal activity.
The press release adds that Brown will host a community forum between leaders and Black Lives Matter organizers to “discuss racial justice and police reform in the City of Portland.”
The announcement follows weeks of complaints from left-wing figures over federal law enforcement presence in Portland. Oregon State Police (OSP) stepped up to the plate to defend the federal courthouse in Portland following an agreement “that aimed to draw down the federal presence and offered hope for a much-needed detente in a city roiled by two months of unrest,” as the AP reported at the beginning of August. However, OSP ended its defense shortly after over frustration of the lack of prosecutions of those arrested:
Portland reached yet another breaking point over the weekend after the fatal shooting of right-wing protester. According to the Oregonian, the suspect under investigation is a BLM supporter and self-described member of Antifa who was arrested on weapons charges in July and subsequently released.
Notably, Brown recently blamed the right-wing group for the escalation of violence in Portland.
“I will not allow Patriot Prayer and armed white supremacists to bring more bloodshed to our streets,” she said, as detailed in Sunday’s press release.
“Time and again, from Charlottesville to Kenosha to Portland, we have seen the tragic outcome when armed right-wing vigilantes take matters into their own hands,” she added. “Gun violence is never, ever the answer.”