On this day, August 17, 2014, two people were kiled after a disabled man jumped on his mother's lap in a motorized mobilized device hitting the controls and propelling both of them into a gap between two light-rail train cars as the train left the station in Gresham.
Also on this day, August 17, 2019, Oregon police arrested at least 13 people and seized metal poles, bear spray and other weapons as Antifa rioters swarmed downtown Portland.
“We cannot enforce our way out of the pandemicâ€
The Governor’s
Executive Order 20-65 for lockdown to December 2 calls for enforcement subject to 30 days in jail or a fine of $1,250 or both. The problem the Governor has is that she can only direct enforcement by the Oregon State Police. So, to intimidate compliance, she has convinced the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association and the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police to support the Oregon State Police in the following public statement. But, somehow it acknowledges the lack of enforcement and is just begging compliance.
Oregonians have a strong tradition of unifying to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities. As your fellow community members, please join us in adhering to the Governor’s Executive Order during the two-week Coronavirus freeze. As your Oregon Law Enforcement professionals, our primary objective throughout the Coronavirus pandemic has been to take an education first approach and to seek voluntary compliance with each Executive Order. We recognize the inconvenience the pandemic and subsequent restrictions have caused all of us. We also know that the risk to our most vulnerable populations is extremely high at this time and we urge everyone to follow these restrictions in order to protect them. After all, we are all in this together.
With the issuance of the latest Executive Order, Oregon Law enforcement will continue to follow an education first approach. Oregon Law Enforcement will only take enforcement action (criminal citations) as a last resort. As with most enforcement decision making, discretion will be used if/when any Executive Order enforcement action is taken. Oregon Law Enforcement recognizes that we cannot arrest or enforce our way out of the pandemic. We can however work together in following these restrictions to make our communities a safer and healthy place.
We include the following recommendations when it comes to reporting Executive Order violations.
Business/workplace violations-Please report these to Oregon OSHA.
Restaurant/Bars-Please report these violations to OSHA or OLCC.
Oregon Law Enforcement is faced with many challenges one of which is typically receiving more police calls for service than available resources to respond. Because of this, we ask the public to follow the above-mentioned recommendations for reporting alleged violations of the Executive Order.
At the Northwest Observer, we wish you and yours a very joyful -- and safe -- holiday season, with minimal involuntary interactions with law enforcement.
--Donna Bleiler| Post Date: 2020-11-17 18:16:05 | Last Update: 2020-11-17 18:48:56 |
