Multnomah County’s new deflection center sees a quiet opening day

KATU News crews stationed outside Multnomah County’s newly opened deflection center for most of the day saw no police drop-offs, however, security vehicles came and went appearingto check in with staff in the facility occasionally.

Security Patrol officers could also be spotted walking around the building’s perimeter.

Based on one month of mobile deflection operations the county had projected the center would see anywhere from four to ten deflection clients at the center.

The center’s hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.

It comes as the county is set to meet again with the Buckman Neighborhood Association in an attempt to strike a Good Neighborhood Agreement deal.

"Nothing has changed in terms of the county’s value of working with the neighborhood to make sure everyone has their concerns met," County Spokesperson Ryan Yambra said on Friday in anticipation of the opening. "The neighborhood is going to see what it looks like when we open. The county has been preparing for some time now, making sure that it’s a smooth transition."

Part of that planning includes extending the county’s contract with Workplace Security to include occasional car patrols around the deflection center and regular foot patrols around the building perimeter.

Dorothy Elmore, the security company’s director says they learned from their operations at the county’s behavioral health facility.

"What we do is that based on the locations, we kind of train and get the kind of experienced officers that are suitable for this milieu," she said. "We look at our officers, the cadre of our officers, and get the most experience in meeting the needs of this facility."

One of the major sticking points in reaching the agreement has been transportation for clients leaving the facility. Neighbors want to see mandatory transportation, currently, Tuerk House, the nonprofit contracted to run the center will be offering transportation from the center on a voluntary basis.

https://katu.com/news/local/multnomah-countys-new-deflection-center-sees-a-quiet-opening-day-buckman-neighborhood-association-portland-oregon-drugs-usage-dorothy-elmore-ryan-yambra-tuerk-house

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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: October 16, 2024, 3:03 am.

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