quote:

Foxnews.com: Jail refuses to book first person arrested under Portland's new homeless camping rules

Portland police arrested a homeless man accused of repeatedly rejecting offers of shelter, but county jail officials said they won't book people who violate city ordinances

By Hannah Ray Lambert, Fox News
Published July 30, 2024 9:00pm EDT

Police in Portland, Oregon, made their first arrest under a new ordinance restricting camping on public property, but the county jail refused to book the suspect.

It's the latest blow to city officials' attempts to crack down on pervasive homeless camps.

"I am disappointed by the Sheriff’s decision to refuse to book individuals arrested for violating the law," Mayor Ted Wheeler told Fox News Digital in a statement. "I am deeply concerned by this disconnect and what it may mean for future efforts to improve public safety."

I posted this to highlight the utter hypocrisy of Mayor Wheeler.

This is the same Mayor Wheeler who allowed ANTIFA to riot night after night, burning, looting, and killing people. None were brought to justice.

Now despite his claim the Sheriff said the jail would accept such prisoners, I believe that this was known to him in advance, and was the reason he did not oppose the "urban camping ban."

Hmmm, someone might want to dig a little deeper into this…


If Portland doesn’t operate a city jail, and book into county, that would suggest they contract with the county for jail service.

County jail provides the service they are paid and contracted for. I’d be interested to know the specifics of the arrangement, it may well be a city prosecutor or some other city official didn’t make the necessary arrangements to expand the contract (and increase in fees/costs) to the county.

Smells like the City is trying to throw Sheriff’s office under the bus on this. Hopefully the Multnomah Co. Sheriff will chime in on this.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
I’d be interested to know the specifics of the arrangement.

Standard City/County arrangment, City gives money to County, County gives the money to the Mayor's re-election fund.

Or, alternatively, County buys the Mayor's wife a nice new BMW.

In Virgina where I grew up, and here in Utah currently, all jails are operated by the county sheriffs per state constitution. It is a safeguard against tyranny to have an elected official directly in charge of the jail.

Once I was in church discussing a gun law with a friend who was Utah Highway Patrol. The law was some national nonsense that was in the news, and our local sheriff had stated that he would not enforce such a law. My friend said that the UHP couldn't enforce something like that due to the Sheriff's position, even if they wanted to. I observed that the UHP doesn't work for the Sheriff, but he told me that the jail belongs to him, and he can refuse any booking from the UHP if he wants to. Therefore, they tread lightly around the Sheriff and are always careful with him and his jail.

I do not know if Oregon works this way, but here, the jails are the property of the sheriffs, so the buck stops with them. I do not know where the Feds would take someone. I know my brother, who is a Federal LEO, seems always careful to maintain good relations with state officials to keep their cooperation. Perhaps they are in the same boat.

It's all a charade.

"...She also said that the city never contacted her office to request that the new camping ordinance be included as a “bookable offense” with the county. This step is required because, under state law, Multnomah County isn’t expected to book or jail people for violating city ordinances, only felony or misdemeanor offenses.

According to Deputy John Plock, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, there is currently no one being held in the county jail for violating a city ordinance. Plock said the county occasionally makes “temporary exemptions” to this rule in order to address certain public safety issues. But those exemptions must be made through an agreement between the city and the sheriff’s office."

“No one from the mayor’s office or city attempted to seek an agreement for an exemption for this ordinance,” Plock said.

https://www.opb.org/article/20...t-jail-homelessness/

What's the difference if the feed and shelter them in jail or at a warehouse ?

And how the "f" long will the be in jail ?

I don't know their whole plan but this seems like a plan at all.

quote:

Originally posted by Expat:
It's all a charade.

"...She also said that the city never contacted her office to request that the new camping ordinance be included as a “bookable offense” with the county. This step is required because, under state law, Multnomah County isn’t expected to book or jail people for violating city ordinances, only felony or misdemeanor offenses.

According to Deputy John Plock, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, there is currently no one being held in the county jail for violating a city ordinance. Plock said the county occasionally makes “temporary exemptions” to this rule in order to address certain public safety issues. But those exemptions must be made through an agreement between the city and the sheriff’s office."

“No one from the mayor’s office or city attempted to seek an agreement for an exemption for this ordinance,” Plock said.

https://www.opb.org/article/20...t-jail-homelessness/

Since when is violating a "City Ordinance" not a misdemeanor???

quote:

Originally posted by pulicords:

quote:

Originally posted by Expat:
It's all a charade.

"...She also said that the city never contacted her office to request that the new camping ordinance be included as a “bookable offense” with the county. This step is required because, under state law, Multnomah County isn’t expected to book or jail people for violating city ordinances, only felony or misdemeanor offenses.

According to Deputy John Plock, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, there is currently no one being held in the county jail for violating a city ordinance. Plock said the county occasionally makes “temporary exemptions” to this rule in order to address certain public safety issues. But those exemptions must be made through an agreement between the city and the sheriff’s office."

“No one from the mayor’s office or city attempted to seek an agreement for an exemption for this ordinance,” Plock said.

https://www.opb.org/article/20...t-jail-homelessness/

Since when is violating a "City Ordinance" not a misdemeanor???

That was my question.....citation/infraction offense but not a misdemeanor?

Sounds like a possible game the Sheriff is playing to force the city of PDX that if they want to make public camping on city property an offense, then it needs to get elevated to misdemeanor-level of violation. Any locals available to chime-in on the political position of this Sheriff?

Arkansas law allows for a third level of offense, a "violation". These are only subject to a fine with no possibility of jail time. It is neither a felony nor a misdemeanor.

Oregon may be similar.

It also might be an issue with the fact that
the city ordinance might cause the homeless to
move out into the county areas and be a problem for the sheriff. Not sure what laws are enforced in the county.

Hmmm, So looks like I called it


Lots of city ordinances regarding behavior are “civil” in nature and subject the violator to essentially a ticket and a fine instead of being being criminal (misdemeanor/felony) violations and subject to arrest and incarceration.


Devil is in the details. Bottom line, Portland mayor knew damn well the reason the subject wasn’t booked (or should have known) and choose to throw another agency under the bus.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 911Boss,