Officials Give Status Report Addressing Gun Violence In Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — Officials from the city, county and federal level along with community-based organizations working to end the string of gun violence gave a status report on their coordinated efforts on Thursday morning.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was joined by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kristen Snowden, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell, police bureau staff and community-based partners.

Mayor Wheeler spoke about his Retire-Rehire program, which was announced last October.  Not one officer has come back to the department.

“We really didn’t know whether there would be a lot of interest.  The early indications are that there is not interest, which means we have work to do,” said Mayor Wheeler.

Chief Lovell said the city is averaging 22 shootings per week in 2022 and on pace for 1,500 shootings for the year.  He said several new officers and investigators were welcomed to the bureau earlier in the morning.

There have been 21 homicides in the city this year and stats through the end of February track nearly 250 shootings.

The Focused Intervention Team hit the streets in mid January.  So far, the team has confiscated 25 guns and made 80 arrests.