In a pre-dawn raid turned weapon seizure, Portland's tactical police squads descended on North Jersey Street, confiscating a firearm and arresting a local teen as part of their crackdown on recent shootings. The Portland Police Bureau's Special Emergency Reaction Team, backed by their Focused Intervention Team and other specialized units, swept through a residence in the Portsmouth Neighborhood, unearthing a 9 mm handgun complete with a drum designed for fifty rounds. This piece of hardware had been modified with a "switch" – a tiny piece of illegal machinery that escalates a handgun to a fully automatic firearm. Evidence suggestive of accidental weapon discharge was also found on the scene.
Keandre N. Horgain, an 18-year-old resident of Portland, got snatched by the law and charged with Unlawful Possession of a Machine gun, as per the Oregon Revised Statues - Portland Police Department reported. In the wake of the arrest, Horgain found himself booked at the Multnomah County Detention Center, facing charges that speak to the heightened vigilance law enforcement has committed towards gun-related offenses.
In the shadow of a spike in gun violence, Portland's Focused Intervention Team (FIT) along with the Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST) have engaged in "Portland Ceasefire," a focused deterrence strategy developed in collaboration with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR). This initiative ropes in the Portland Community Safety Division, Office of Violence Prevention, city leaders, community groups, and their own ranks in a concerted effort to quell the tide of shootings plaguing the streets.
The FIT squad, equipped with a lieutenant, two sergeants, and a dozen officers, has its mission etched deep: Address a rampant scourge of gun violence in Portland, intervening in emergencies and otherwise forging ties with the community. Guided by a group of local volunteers, FITCOG, or the Focused Intervention Team Community Oversight Group, the FIT has been operational since June 2021, offering their expertise in preventive, interventional, and responsive strategies to combat this crisis.
