PORTLAND, Ore. — There have been more than 100 shootings since the start of 2021. Six people have died and more than two dozen people have been injured.
"I know it's a top of mind issue," said Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell.
There is no ignoring the gun violence in Portland. There were 893 shootings in 2020. That is 500 more shootings than the year before.
Chief Lovell says one of the contributing factors is the loss of the Gun Violence Reduction Team, or GVRT.
"We had a focus and a structure, and I think that's the most important thing to look at and think of," said Lovell. "We had a structure that took a couple of years to build."
The GVRT was defunded and dismantled by the Portland City Council amid allegations of racial profiling, among other things. That said, Portland city commissioners are alarmed by the gun violence. They addressed it as recently as Wednesday at a city council meeting.
"What we know is that we have people who are desperate, who have no income and have no hope," said Jo Ann Hardesty. "It is our job as the council to provide that hope for these families that have been devastated for the community, who has to see us collectively setting a vision for where we're headed."
A vision has never been more important than it is right now. If the gunfire is not killing or injuring people, it is coming dangerously close to doing so. In the last several months, bullets have whizzed through vehicles and homes, even bedrooms of children.
"I think it's important to balance the urgency of this crisis but be thoughtful on what we implement, how we implement it, how we communicate it," said Lovell.
That explains Chief Lovell's refusal to give specifics about how he plans to tackle gun violence. He is only going so far as to say something is in the works.
"It's about reconstructing a system that'll allow us to do what we need to do with enough resources to not only hopefully have a deterrent and operational piece, but also have the investigative resources, too, to solve crimes," he said.
Whatever plan Chief Lovell and his team come up with to fight gun violence, Lovell says there has to be more transparency and community support. He says perhaps that is achieved by building in some community oversight.
KGW will stay on top of this story.