PORTLAND, OR - Discord has erupted between the Portland Police Bureau and the Multnomah County Sheriff's Department which manages the Multnomah County Detention Center. This, over Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O'Donnell's refusal to allow the booking of violators of the city's new prohibited camping ordinance.
As a result, Mayor Ted Wheeler has reportedly direct the PPB to hand out criminal citations to any violators of the ban.
As reported by KGW, the matter came to a head on Friday when Portland officers made the first arrest of the new law, a homeless man who refused to be brought to a city shelter. Officers placed him under arrest for violation of the camping ban and attempted to book him at the Multnomah County Detention Center, where deputies refused to process him.
In short order, a flurry of statements was released. Sheriff O'Donnell issued a statement that her office was following a pre-existing policy that she has no interest in changing. "As the elected official charged with managing the jail, I believe we need to utilize the corrections system as a place for people who pose a genuine danger to the public," she said, "and that does not include individuals whose only offense is living unsheltered."
Mayor Wheeler replied in an email to Portland Police Chief Bob Day, ordering the PPB to cite violators of the ordinance. He wrote, "The City has an obligation to maintain the public rights of way, access to public rights of way, and to protect sensitive environmental areas.
"We are responsible for implementing and enforcing a law approved by a unanimous city council and based on the will of the voters when outreach and services have been repeatedly refused by people living outside. In light of the Sheriff's decision not to book and process arrests for violations of the City’s public camping ordinance, I am directing the Portland Police Bureau to continue to cite those who repeatedly violate this law and refer these cases for prosecution."
According to The Post Millennial, Wheeler said that his office had multiple meetings with the Sheriff "over the last year and a half to receive input on the city's public camping laws." He added that they discussed "booking criteria" specifically to guarantee that homeless violators of the new ordinance would be booked under the new law, and that the previous policy O'Donnell referred to was no longer in effect.
"I am disappointed by the sheriff's decision to refuse to book individuals arrested violating the law," he told the Willamette Week.
Mayoral spokesman Cody Bowman told the paper, "Cities do not typically need to get agreements in writing confirming that their sheriff will enforce the law."
As a result, Mayor Ted Wheeler has reportedly direct the PPB to hand out criminal citations to any violators of the ban.
As reported by KGW, the matter came to a head on Friday when Portland officers made the first arrest of the new law, a homeless man who refused to be brought to a city shelter. Officers placed him under arrest for violation of the camping ban and attempted to book him at the Multnomah County Detention Center, where deputies refused to process him.
In short order, a flurry of statements was released. Sheriff O'Donnell issued a statement that her office was following a pre-existing policy that she has no interest in changing. "As the elected official charged with managing the jail, I believe we need to utilize the corrections system as a place for people who pose a genuine danger to the public," she said, "and that does not include individuals whose only offense is living unsheltered."
Mayor Wheeler replied in an email to Portland Police Chief Bob Day, ordering the PPB to cite violators of the ordinance. He wrote, "The City has an obligation to maintain the public rights of way, access to public rights of way, and to protect sensitive environmental areas.
"We are responsible for implementing and enforcing a law approved by a unanimous city council and based on the will of the voters when outreach and services have been repeatedly refused by people living outside. In light of the Sheriff's decision not to book and process arrests for violations of the City’s public camping ordinance, I am directing the Portland Police Bureau to continue to cite those who repeatedly violate this law and refer these cases for prosecution."
According to The Post Millennial, Wheeler said that his office had multiple meetings with the Sheriff "over the last year and a half to receive input on the city's public camping laws." He added that they discussed "booking criteria" specifically to guarantee that homeless violators of the new ordinance would be booked under the new law, and that the previous policy O'Donnell referred to was no longer in effect.
"I am disappointed by the sheriff's decision to refuse to book individuals arrested violating the law," he told the Willamette Week.
Mayoral spokesman Cody Bowman told the paper, "Cities do not typically need to get agreements in writing confirming that their sheriff will enforce the law."
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Comments
2024-08-07T08:41-0400 | Comment by: Robin
Time to remove the Sheriff for her incompetency and not following the law. Get these people off the streets by all legal means necessary, as well as removing all illegal aliens from the USA immediately. Time to take back America from the corrupt politicians!