What defines ‘deflection’? New project plan sheds light on proposed Multnomah County drop-off center
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — New details are emerging about Multnomah County’s proposed deflection center set to open in a couple of weeks, including what defines “deflection.”
This all comes following the passage of House 4002, a law passed in Oregon that rolls back aspects of the voter-passed Measure 110 in 2020. The new law re-introduces criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of hard drugs. However, individual counties can still opt in to offering a choice to offenders between either going to jail or seeking treatment.
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In Multnomah County, a deflection center is being planned to open next month, when HB 4002 takes effect. The Southeast Sandy Boulevard location has been the focus of criticism from neighbors and some county commissioners.
On Thursday, KOIN 6 News tried to get a look inside the facility but we were not allowed access. However, KOIN 6 was given a 57-page draft project plan containing updates on the deflection program.
Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson has also revealed that if the steps toward opening the center don’t go as planned, the county may not open its doors on Sept. 1, after all.
Oregon State Representative Rob Nosse (D-Portland) helped push through HB 4002. The legislature has also gifted $25 million to help start up Multnomah County’s deflection program, including a proposed 24/7 sobering center. Nosse told KOIN 6 News they will be assessing each county program to see what works and what doesn’t.
“This is one of the most important issues in our state right now, trying to overcome addiction challenges. There’s no way we’re letting any county off the hook,” Nosse said.
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According to the new draft policy for the proposed deflection program, the county considers a person successfully “deflected” if they receive a screening, a service referral and engage with that service within 30 days.
Treatment is not required. However, if the person fails to get help they could be arrested and charged if they are found in possession of drugs again in the future.
The question remains whether the county is ready to open the doors at the facility at 900 SE Sandy Blvd. Here’s what Chair Vega Pederson had to say about it during Thursday’s board meeting:
“We are not going to open the deflection center if some of the required components are not in place, and that includes security, that includes transportation, that includes, you know, staffing readiness, that includes all, all of the things that are going into these program elements,” she said.
The site is set to offer screenings, connection to services and transportation. The county has also set aside $740,000 to fund two security officers to monitor the center for the first 10 months. The uniformed guards will be tasked with vehicle patrols along the site perimeter, monitoring cameras and stopping people from loitering.
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With the plan in place and the deflection deadline drawing near, Nosse said he’s excited for the rollout, bumps and all.
“The voters were very clear. They wanted a modicum of law enforcement reintroduced into this process. And I think the way that Multnomah County is struggling — in the best sense of that word — to try to figure out how to do it, we’re going to end up with something that’s going to work,” he said.
In a statement, Chair Vega Pederson clarified the county still plans on opening the center on Sept. 1. However, she said that if at any point, it looks like they can’t safely do so due to operational plans not lining up, they will need more time to open it. She also said Commissioner Sharon Meieran’s proposed resolution for a 90-day pause on opening the center will make it on next week’s board meeting agenda.
Below are KOIN 6 News’ questions to Chair Vega Pederson about the deflection center and the full answers she provided in an email exchange.
KOIN 6 News: How does the County plan to address safety/livability concerns in the surrounding area?
Chair Vega Pederson: “Making sure the neighborhood maintains the same level of safety and livability after September 1 as they saw before September 1 is of enormous importance to me, and I have directed staff to prioritize this. The security provider for the County is Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc. The county has contracted with Lones Consulting to work with Workplace Security, Inter-Con Systems and Tuerk House to perform safety and security planning and draft related policies and procedures that will be in place before opening.
“Transportation will be offered to all individuals leaving the facility and staff will encourage people to accept transportation, whether to a referral or to their next destination. Tuerk House, which has provided similar services in Baltimore for years, does not require participants in their existing program to accept transportation away from the facility, however they find that patients opt for the transportation more often than not. Deflection staff and peers will work with people to help identify and reach their next stop, while program managers will set expectations and be responsive to any issues that may arise.”
KOIN 6 News: Is the Chair open to a pause on opening the center beyond the Sept. 1st date?
Chair Vega Pederson: “It continues to be my priority to support community members whose only other option on September 1 will be jail and make sure we can provide other options and services. We know that community members struggling with substance use disorder are far more likely to recover, heal, and thrive when they have access to adequate health care and treatment.
“Connecting our community to the services they need is the basis of having a deflection system, and we are doing everything we can to prepare for the law changes on September 1. We are committed to providing a bridge between our public safety partners and the recovery system. If at any point, it looks like we cannot open the facility in a way that is safe for participants, staff and the community we will ensure we take the time we need. But that decision would be based on operational plans and needs.
“Our team at Multnomah County is continuing to plan for a center that provides a deflection location on September 1, while building a deflection system that will help struggling community members on the path to recovery that ensures law enforcement can effectively address public safety concerns. This system will include a center to provide a physical location to connect with services, as well as partnerships with crisis services Project Respond and Portland Street Response, the Promoting Access to Hope (PATH) program, the Provider-Police Connection Project and other system partners to define and build new deflection pathways based on the on-the-ground work beginning on September 1.”
KOIN 6 News: Will Commissioner Meieran’s proposed resolution be added to the upcoming agenda?
Chair Vega Pederson: Yes it will. I am committed to putting all resolutions put forward by my colleagues on the board agenda and my team is currently reviewing the calendar to finalize placement of this proposed resolution.
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