Amidst the hum of ongoing construction, Multnomah County forges ahead with plans to open a new drug deflection center aimed at providing individuals caught with small amounts of hard drugs an option to seek treatment over incarceration. Scheduled to open on Sept. 1, the center comes as a response to Oregon's House Bill 4002, which reintroduces criminal penalties for drug possession and requires counties to implement deflection programs. Despite these plans, critics have voiced strong reservations about the current lack of services and unanswered operational questions.
Community leaders and residents expressed these concerns during recent meetings. Jens Knudsen, co-chair of the Buckman neighborhood board, emphasized the search for clarity regarding the center's evidence-based approach to deflection. Concerns also surfaced about potential community safety and the fate of individuals post-referral. "A lot of our residents are concerned that when people are brought in, they will not leave; they will set up camps right next to the preschool a couple of blocks away (and) over time migrate to living on the streets near Buckman Elementary School," Knudsen said, as per KGW.
The planned center, located on Southeast Sandy Boulevard, has already run into criticism for not including sobering services until 2025. Multiple county commissioners have pointed out the hastiness and opacity surrounding the center's preparations. Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards was especially critical of the inadequate communication with the community and board members regarding operational details and funding allocation, as reported by KOIN. Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson has promised to establish advisory committees and maintain dialogue with local stakeholders, yet the specifics about the number of treatment opportunities instead of jail time and other operational aspects remain vague.
The skepticism was further echoed in a community meeting held last night where county staff, including advisors to Vega Pederson, were unable to provide definitive answers to the public's inquiries. Buckman resident Elijah Probst articulated the lack of confidence by stating, "It’s hard to have confidence," and questioned the program's success due to its rushed nature, according to Willamette Week. Meanwhile, Commissioner Sharon Meieran suggested exploring alternative solutions, such as mobile services, that might be more effective and less disruptive to the community.
