Concerns over potential post-election unrest addressed
By Rob Cullivan, Contributing Writer
This November, Portland voters will select 12 city council members in the first election held under the new City Charter. Under the new system, voters will select three council members in each of the city’s four districts. Parkrose voters reside in District 1, which covers several neighborhoods east of Interstate 205 all the way to Gresham.
Parkrose Life recently contacted all the declared candidates for District 1 (as of June 14th), asking them to state their positions and qualifications. We have edited their responses for clarity and length. This article is the fourth and final in a series of articles that outline how candidates think on various issues as well as why they believe voters should support candidates. To learn more about each candidate, read other articles in our series.
Election Day is November 5! Read up on ranked choice voting and details for mailing your ballot or taking it to a ballot drop site.
Question 1: Many people fear crime and worry about their safety in our area, particularly break-ins, shoplifting, vandalism, and actual physical violence. Please outline how you would address reducing and eliminating criminal activity.
Candace Avalos
The candidate outlined a series of measures she would support.
Building Trust and Accountability: Avalos cited her seven years of service, including as chair, of the City’s Citizen Review Committee, Portland’s police accountability board, as instrumental in shaping her views. A key element, she said, to ensure public safety is establishing trust between the city and its residents.
“I am currently serving on a Reimagining Justice project in Cully where we’re tackling these same issues on how to build true community safety in the neighborhood, and it’s giving me a helpful perspective that I plan to bring to my leadership on the city council representing East Portland.”
Supporting Small Businesses and Residents: Avalos said she would work with community networks to establish neighborhood watch programs and foster community liaisons “who can help bridge the gap between residents, business owners, and law enforcement. Additionally, providing resources for businesses to enhance their own security through community grants or partnerships would be a priority.”
Addressing Root Cause: “By advocating for policies that increase the availability of affordable housing and ensure fair wages, we can create conditions that reduce the likelihood of people turning to crime out of necessity.”
Investing in Prevention and Youth Programs: “I would support programs offering education, job training, mentorship, and recreational activities to keep young people engaged and away from criminal activities.”
Addressing Substance Abuse and Mental Health: “Serving on the Substance Use Subcommittee of the Portland Central City Taskforce, I’ve seen the critical need for comprehensive support services. I would advocate for increased funding for mental health and substance abuse treatment, ensuring accessible and integrated support systems for those in need.”
Empowering Community Safety Initiatives: “I would promote initiatives that involve the community in safety planning, such as neighborhood safety audits and public forums. Collaborating with local organizations to address specific safety concerns ensures that solutions are community-driven and holistic.”
Investing in Public Spaces and Environmental Design: “I would promote the design and maintenance of public spaces that encourage positive community interactions and deter criminal activity, such as well-lit streets, clean parks, and community gardens.”
Jamie Dunphy
“We can rapidly clean up trash, graffiti, needles, and human waste. We can activate every public park, plaza, and business district with music, art, and activities that create opportunities for positive behavior and remove opportunities where bad behavior will fester.”
Dunphy notes he worked as a middle school behavioral specialist “focusing on gang prevention and crime reduction,” and advocates for “a modern, professionally trained police force that can respond to the scary situations in our community where the only appropriate response is a trained and accountable professional with a gun.
“But we also rely too heavily on sending police to situations where they aren’t the most appropriate resource. We need to have robust alternatives in place, like Portland Street Response, the Portland Park Rangers, Traffic Enforcement, Noise Office professionals, and (Public Safety Support Specialists) to reduce the situations where we send our police.”
Dunphy also notes Portland’s lively cultural life can help deter crime. “There’s no amount of police patrolling up and down a business district at 1a.m. that will have the same effect on community safety as a concert getting out, with people walking to their cars, to restaurants and bars, and to small businesses.”
Steph Routh
“Theft and vandalism take a toll on local businesses, and small businesses do not have the profit margins to easily withstand repeat incidences.
“We have seen a decrease in property damage from 2022 to 2023, which is an encouraging trend that needs to continue in order to support our local small businesses and residents. We have not seen the same decrease in sex offenses, assaults, and other violent crime, and we have seen a concerning uptick in bias crime in the last few years.
“I believe we must expand our investments in innovative solutions that we know work, such as Portland Street Response, as well as build partnerships with community-based organizations to above all reduce gun violence, hate crimes, domestic violence, and dangerous traffic conditions. We need to expand our toolkit of community safety partners to ensure all our neighbors feel safe. I think of this as building a web of safety, so that when an incident requires an armed response by police, police are available to respond quickly rather than being tied up in a lower acuity incident.”
Cayle Tern
“Last summer, I had someone take things out of the front of my garage as I was working in the backyard. This happened in the mid-afternoon. What’s even more frustrating is, I found my things being sold on Facebook Market Place the same day.
‘To begin to solve the problem, we need to figure out how we can collect meaningful data. We need to figure out why we are experiencing a reduction in crime when it feels like it is increasing. We need to figure out if the officers are neglecting their jobs; if so, how do we motivate them?
“We need to learn if the Portland Police Bureau is underfunded, or if funds are being mismanaged. We need to hold the Portland Police Bureau accountable, and we need an objective and unbiased report from an independent auditor to get to the root of the problem.”
David Linn
“We need to continue to push our local partners to fix the broken public defender system and barriers that prevent courts from considering only what a person did and not their housing or medical status.
“We have seen some success with the police using targeted operations to go after professional criminal activity. We would like to see more of that, and targeted towards protecting businesses and homes that are facing repeat break-ins.
“We can better utilize video cameras in public places, especially public transit, to ensure that they can capture evidence that will work in court and hold people accountable for their actions.”
Noah Ernst
The candidate noted his own personal experience of crime, including the murder of a taxi driver friend. Ernst said he would “support recruiting and training more officers because the City of Portland has an extremely low number of officers per capita for a city its size. That has caused slow response times, and even the inability of law enforcement to respond at all, even in cases of violent crime.
“While shoplifting and vandalism are sometimes thought of as ‘low-level’ crimes … they are often the reasons given by people who choose to move away from Portland,” Ernst said.
Everything from stores closing and graffiti to shoplifting and open substance abuse on public transit diminishes public safety, he noted.
“I believe we must treat these … crimes seriously to restore quality of life in Portland.”
Sonja McKenzie
The candidate outlined several steps she would support to decrease crime.
- Assess where crime is happening, who is committing crimes and what is driving the violence.
- Align with state and federal agencies on goals to reduce crime and violence.
- Set clear goals by prioritizing anti-violence and crime reduction strategies.
- Approve adequate funding and investment for new programs, workforce expansion, and “stakeholder engagement” to reduce crime
- Use community policing to prevent violence.
- Provide resources, information and support for communities most disproportionately impacted by crime on a daily basis.
Terrence Hayes
“I would increase best-practice policing, make sure that the police force is supported by elected (officials) and the community, support community-based organizations that are trying to prevent people from turning to a life of crime, and continue to build community relationships between law enforcement and the police. I believe this is fairly simple as long as we are supporting the police force and funding the organizations doing the work.”
Timur Ender
“I’m committed to doing everything I can to reduce 911 hold times and response times so that when there is an emergency needing a quick response, people in our public safety bureaus are able to respond quickly.
“I also support building out the full spectrum public safety programs such as Portland Street Response and the hiring of PS3s (unarmed public safety support specialists).
“Most importantly, having these alternative responses in place helps ensure that police are able to respond promptly to violent crimes and property crimes and not be overburdened with low-level issues that could be addressed by someone like a public safety support specialist.
“I am also committed to evidence-based policies that reduce gun violence. From a city perspective, this includes (1) support for ceasefire program which provides wraparound case management for those most at risk of committing gun violence; (2) gun violence prevention grants for organizations doing street level outreach to prevent shootings; and (3) place-based interventions to gun violence including adding green spaces, street lighting, community events, and park activations.”
2. Portland is still recovering from the unrest in 2020, with the prospect of more as the divisive presidential election takes places and war in the Middle East expands. How do you think the city and its law enforcement representatives should engage with people who may violate the law and jeopardize others’ safety in pursuit of political objectives?
Candace Avalos
The candidate outlined several steps she supports.
Community Engagement and Mediation: “Building relationships with community leaders and organizers before potential unrest can be a proactive step. Leaders can act as mediators, helping to communicate protestors’ concerns to city officials, and assist in maintaining peaceful demonstrations.”
Transparent and Accountable Governance: “Transparency in city actions is critical. Clear communication about strategies, objectives, and actions during protests can help build public trust. Additionally, holding city officials accountable for any misconduct through independent oversight ensures that actions remain just and fair.
Support Services and Mental Health Resources: “Recognizing that many individuals involved in unrest may be dealing with significant stress and trauma, the city should provide support services and mental health resources.”
Facilitate Peaceful Expression and Dialogue: “The city should create spaces and opportunities for peaceful expression and dialogue around contentious issues. Organizing town halls, community forums, and public discussions can provide outlets for people to voice their concerns constructively and work towards solutions collaboratively.
Focused Law Enforcement on Criminal Activities: Avalos noted that as chair of the police accountability board, “we did a review of the police response to 2020 protests and produced a 40-page report of suggestions and national best practices.” Her work on the report made her believe “law enforcement (should) not indiscriminately use crowd control munitions while residents are safely and peacefully exercising their legally protected right to protest.
“Protesting against police brutality against Black and Brown people or imperialism that is killing people not just in Gaza but worldwide is not just a ‘political objective.’ These protests are reactions to deeply rooted systemic issues and injustices, and we must honor that.
“By balancing the need for public safety with the respect for individuals’ rights to express their views on critical issues, we can navigate these challenging times with empathy and justice.
Jamie Dunphy
“I firmly believe that political protest is a good thing, but riots and violence are seldom an acceptable answer. The police response to the protests of 2020 was unacceptably violent and intentionally instigated certain behaviors from the crowd. We need better training and standards for how the police respond to public protest that doesn’t instigate worse behavior.
“Additionally, we must hold individuals accountable for illegal and deeply unrelated behavior, including violence, looting, and arson. Mass protests, using your body to demonstrate your values, is not only deeply American, but also a regular part of Portland’s political culture.
“Our small businesses are not the cause of the Gaza-Israel war, and smashing the storefront windows of mom-and-pop businesses will not bring that war to a close any faster. Most protestors are peaceful and should be allowed to express their frustrations, and individuals who cross the line into any form of violence toward innocent people should be held accountable.”
Steph Routh
“As a Parkrose High School alumna, I was deeply concerned to see the Proud Boys rally take over the former K-Mart site in 2021 and end up on school property (Gunfire erupts after Proud Boys and anti-fascists openly brawl in Portland without police intervention – OPB).
“City leadership responded with no police intervention. To me, this is an all-too-common response, that we must protect residents and local businesses when demonstrations occur downtown, but East Portland should be largely left to its own devices.
“We know when a protest is likely to occur (November); we can reasonably guess where (downtown Portland); we can guess at least a few groups who may be involved in those protests.
“I don’t believe we need to wait to start a conversation about how to engage. We need to start that conversation now. I believe the City Council should be convening these conversations.”
Cayle Tern
“Everyone has the right to protest and stand up for what they believe in without intervention from authorities. However, I strongly believe that an individual’s rights stop when it infringes on someone else’s.
“I believe that protestors who commit violence towards someone else and destroy the property of others are no longer protestors and should be held accountable. I believe that the role of the Police should be to protect the protesters and prevent violence from happening. I believe that the Police help ensure that protesters and bystanders maintain order and people are safe.”
David Linn
“Peaceful protest is a basic freedom of all Americans. Violence against other people should never be tolerated.
“What was different in 2020 was outside groups and individuals targeting Portland to commit random acts of violence on people they viewed as political opponents.
“Outside groups should be shadowed by the Portland Police, so they can be arrested the second they start breaking the law. We cannot allow fighting between groups like we saw in Parkrose on Aug. 22, 2021. (East Portland Proud Boys Rally Devolves Into Street Violence With No Police in Sight (wweek.com) )
“I joined other school board members in condemning the violence that day and calling for greater community protections.
“We have suffered from a glaring lack of leadership from the mayor and in this new system we expect there to be a much clearer chain of command and direction of crowd management. That crowd management needs to focus on actions of individuals and not political ‘optics.’”
Noah Ernst
“The right to gather together and seek redress of grievances from the government and the freedom of speech are among the most important constitutional rights we possess. However, those rights do not extend to or excuse criminal activity.
“There is no excuse for violence or vandalism from anyone of any political position. Law enforcement must respect and protect the free speech rights of all people. But we all must agree that violence and criminality have no place in our political discourse and people who engage in them are criminals, not protesters.”
Sonja McKenzie
“I believe it is the role of the police to support the constitutional right of free speech and assembly and support public safety of those involved.
“The city and law enforcement need to engage in nonviolent, de-escalation strategies to disperse and control crowds in order to protect people and property and discourage criminal acts during public gatherings or protests.”
Terrence Hayes
“Anybody who violates the law should be held accountable. It is not peaceful protest when things are being broken or set on fire or people are being injured.”
Timur Ender
“I condemn political violence and believe those engaging in violence should be held accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
“I also believe it is important to separate political violence from civil disobedience. From the Boston Tea Party to the Montgomery bus boycotts, our nation has a history of using nonviolent protest to shine a light on things that may not align with our values as a community.
“I also believe it is important to listen. Protests often occur because people feel their voices have not been heard. While local government cannot control the outcome of the federal election, it can affirmatively create space for dialogue and for people to feel welcome and heard in our community.”
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