Portland Police Make First Arrest Under New Homeless Camping Ordinance; Jail Refuses to Book Suspect
Portland Police have made their first arrest following the city’s implementation of a new ordinance restricting camping on public property by the homeless. However, the Multnomah County Jail refused to book the individual in question.
On Friday, officers from the Portland Police Bureau arrested a man who had refused offers to be housed in a shelter. After taking the man to jail, the jail staff declined to book him, resulting in his immediate release.
A spokesperson for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jails in the city, explained that jail staff do not book people arrested for violating city ordinances. Instead, the jail only books individuals accused of misdemeanor or felony offenses under state law.
“I am disappointed by the Sheriff’s decision to refuse to book individuals arrested for violating the law,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told Fox News in a statement. “I am deeply concerned by this disconnect and what it may mean for future efforts to improve public safety.”
Mayor Wheeler further explained that while he had met with Portland Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell and her representatives multiple times in the last year and they had “explicitly stated publicly that booking restrictions had been lifted,” that is “clearly not the case.”
Sheriff O’Donnell responded to the jail’s refusal to book the suspect, saying she believes the jail should be used “as a place for people who pose a genuine danger to the public, and that does not include individuals whose only offense is living unsheltered.”
Portland has faced significant issues with homelessness and public camping over the last few years. However, the city has recently renewed efforts to crack down on these issues, following a Supreme Court ruling that grants cities more power to implement restrictions on public encampments.
In May, the Portland City Council unanimously approved a new rule that restricts individuals from camping on public property if they have access to a “reasonable alternative shelter” but turn it down. Violators can face a $100 fine and/or seven days in jail. According to the mayor’s office, since this ordinance went into effect, most outdoor campers have accepted shelter offers from the city.