Portland Police Union President Says City Is ‘On the Precipice of a Gang War'

The president of Portland, Oregon's police union said in a blistering new statement that the city is on the brink of war.

"We need to talk about the elephant in the room: gun violence. We are on the precipice of a gang war," said Daryl Turner, head of the Portland Police Association.

The city has not brought back the Gun Violence Reduction Team and none of the new funding went to the police.

"The GVRT proactively policed with a holistic approach, building partnerships and relationships to get illegal guns off the street. It's obvious to everyone except for City Council that more guns and increased gang activity mean more violence," he said in the new statement.

City Council members are now focused on making additional cuts to the Portland Police Bureau's budget, which will not address the gun violence epidemic, according to Turner.

"The answer is that our community deserves a fully staffed police force with a minimum of 1,000 officers and a full budget commitment to addressing gun violence, AND our community deserves adequate social service resources. Forcing us to choose one over the other is short-sighted. Social services and alternatives resources are not a replacement for police officers and common-sense public safety infrastructure," he said.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, a Democrat, said in a statement that she appreciated the budget not adding "Ongoing funds back into the Portland Police Bureau after council reallocated money from the bureau into the Portland Street Response and other community investments last year."
 

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