PORTLAND, Ore.COIN) – In less than two months, House Bill 4002 will enter into force and officially reintroduce criminal penalties for those in possession of drugs.
But under the command of Multnomah County new deflection programpeople caught using drugs can avoid arrest — and still walk away without mandatory treatment.
Off-duty Washington County deputy killed in crash on his way home from work
However, commissioners believe this plan was constructed without their input and could return to the status quo of Measure 110 before the recent house bill was passed.
Sharon Meieran claims that her fellow commissioners “were not involved in the conversation”.
Chair Jessica Vega Pederson recently faced pushback after having closed-door meetings with District Attorney Mike Schmidt, Portland’s police chief and others to implement the bill, while telling commissioners, “Making sure you’re involved in moving things forward has been a priority.”
“I want to be more than ‘aware,’ I want to be involved in the conversation,” Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards said in response. “Because we’re all going to be responsible for this, and I think we all have something to contribute.”
The president told KOIN 6 News there is currently no limit to how many times a person caught using drugs can opt out of arrest and instead choose diversion, but he plans to alert the justice system if a person is already on a diversion program. or legally required not to use substances.
“It will not be a requirement that people have to go through treatment, but they will need to engage in some type of service, or engagement, or interaction that will help them get on the path to more stability,” Vega told Pederson.
Under the current plan, Portland police officers will take diverted people to the drop-off center — which Chief Bob Day said is “necessary for public safety.”
On his behalf, the Portland Police Bureau said: “Chief Day’s biggest concern comes down to resources. He is concerned that the lack of addiction services will result in people not getting the help they so desperately need.”
The current lack of treatment options is one reason the president said Multnomah County will adopt a less stringent plan than other Oregon counties, which will require a 90-day diversion program.
But Commissioner Brim-Edwards echoed concerns raised by her constituents and authorities.
“We went from a quote that took five minutes to maybe now you’d take people to a center, but it’s like a quote that takes longer to do,” she said. “So the trade-off is, ‘Should I spend time doing this if the result is the same?’”
Meanwhile, President Vega Pederson said she understands the community wants to see “something different.”
“Nobody wants to walk down the street and see people who are using publicly…who want to get help, who need help, and we don’t have help for them,” Vega Pederson said. “Ultimately, that’s the long-term plan of this system… to make sure people have the resources they need, the treatment they need at that moment.”
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, visit KOIN.com.
