'The most horrific displays of hate I've ever seen' | Portland police describe protests (full video)

Yes, there are some bad cops out there. This isn't about them. Please listen to these 3 individual Law Enforcement Officers talk about their commitment to their jobs, their training and experiences in the line of duty, and the toll their jobs take on them, especially in light of defunding, and how it limits their ability to respond to shootings. They are human beings, and most officers are good people who want nothing more than to protect and serve their communities.These are important voices that seldom are heard, and the type of stories that get ignored by MSM, especially at the National level. They talk in detail about how important trust and relationship building with those in the community were in, and in particular, the black community, who are most impacted by gun violence.


I lived in SF Bay Area for 28 years. In my 20's, I passed the written and Oral Exams for SFPD, but while in process, I got scared after an officer was killed for no reason during a routine traffic stop, so I decided not to pursue it. While on the West coast, I entertained thoughts of moving further north to Portland or Seattle areas, due to the beauty of the areas, quality of life, friendly, safe communities, and affordable rents. Now I would never move there, and I feel for the people there and in all the US cities who have to endure violence, vandalism, threats to their safety and limited ability of the police to help keep them safe. Now they don't have the financial or moral support of the Mayors and Governors.


I live on the opposite coast, in Boston. One things Police do here is patrol by bicycle, which puts them directly in touch with the community, and has helped to build partnerships between Law Enforcement and the communities they serve.  Despite BPD history, our problems are not as dire as other cities at the moment, but even here, I am considering a move away from the city, due to a common attitude that we should dismantle what BPD has worked hard to put in place over many decades.  Some want to tear down the protections set in place that make citizens feel safe walking down the street. I will not stay in a place that no longer feels safe.


We're not there yet, fortunately, but with the economy precarious due to COVID, everyone is feeling vulnerable these days. We need to focus on creation, not destruction. Unity, not division. Communication, not shouting over perceived "enemies". I sure hope if I ever need a cop, they are able to show up and help! I make it a point to thank officers for their service when I can. It's a necessary, difficult and dangerous job most of us are not willing or courageous enough to do.  ~PB

'The most horrific displays of hate I've ever seen' | Portland police describe protests (full video)

•Aug 6, 2020

KGW News

67.8K subscribers

https://youtu.be/wMe2hou_sgE


Raw interview: Three members of the Portland Police Bureau spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon to share personal experiences while working the front lines of Portland protests.


People have gathered each night in downtown Portland for the past 10 weeks to protest police brutality and systemic racism following the killing of George Floyd.


Sgt. Brent Maxey, Sgt. Derrick Foxworth and Officer Rehanna Kerridge spoke about that, and Kerridge also talked about funding being cut for the Gun Violence Reduction Team (GVRT), of which she was a member.


Kerridge said too many resources are redirected to the protests every night, including her position. In the early weeks of the protests, during widespread calls for defunding the police, Portland City Council announced that the GVRT would be disbanded. Kerridge said that news was devastating for her, and that it was a step in the wrong direction.


She said sentiments against the GVRT, including that it was racist, were just not true.


"It was a sacrifice to work in that unit," she said. Upon learning funding was cut: "insulting was the first word that comes to mind. I had to find out about that by watching a press conference."


She said she had spent years in North Precinct as part of that team, building relationships with neighbors, businesses, victims and colleagues. Now she's been reassigned to Central Precinct, "where people are actively trying to destroy and create division" night after night.


Foxworth joined the police bureau in 2003, a month before his father was named police chief.


"It's interesting be an African American officer, and I think it's a shared experience," Foxworth said. "When you step outside or your agency, when you wear the uniform in public, especially if you're interacting with communities of color, it doesn't always go well. There's a common experience that you're no longer Black, you're blue."


Foxworth said he hasn't experienced any racism within the Portland Police Bureau.


"The men and women of the Portland Police Bureau are some of the most accepting and kind people that I've ever interacted with," he said.


He said the bureau should always be focused on how to become more diverse and inclusive, but he agrees with Kerridge that disbanding the GVRT was a step in the wrong direction. He said the escalating violence outside of downtown Portland cannot be addressed if officers are focused on nightly riots, and stopping gun violence requires the kind of community relationship the GVRT had.


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