Portland Police Respond to Criticism

By Kyle Andrews

Image via The Skanner News

In an apparent reply to an article published by the Oregonian about homeless people making up 53% of arrests in the city in the last year, Daryl Turner president of the Police Union of Portland posted a statement via their public Facebook page. In the opening paragraph their is a clear example of a social stigma that certainly needs to be confronted. 

Our City has become a cesspool. Livability that once made Portland a unique and vibrant city is now replaced with human feces in businesses doorways, in our parks, and on our streets. Aggressive panhandlers block the sidewalks, storefronts, and landmarks like Pioneer Square, discouraging people from enjoying our City. Garbage-filled RVs and vehicles are strewn throughout our neighborhoods. Used needles, drug paraphernalia, and trash are common sights lining the streets and sidewalks of the downtown core area, under our bridges, and freeway overpasses. That's not what our families, business owners, and tourists deserve.

For many this sentiment is shared. The homeless community is frequently dehumanized by language used in referring to them. A generalization of attributes such as aggression and reducing them as nothing more than the waste they leave behind. This is a deeply concerning statement for many reasons, but mainly the reduction of human beings as it is a blatant display of ignorance towards a community that the Portland Police are also sworn to serve and protect. However it is important to note this statement could very well have been an emotional reaction towards the outrage against the police department following the Oregonian article. While police cannot be blamed or burdened with ending homelessness, one that is certain is that the finger pointing will solve nothing. Instead of engaging in an emotional back and forth, reach out to organizations (many of which are mentioned on this blog) and invest your time productively.