Portland Courant

Our community suffered a tragic loss last Saturday, March 25 when three people lost their lives to gun violence in North Portland.

While the Portland Police Bureau continues their investigation into the shooting, the City’s Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) has been working closely with culturally specific organizations to provide appropriate and compassionate wrap-around services for the families affected by this tragedy. These organizations include IRCO, Going Home II, POIC, Global Movement Network and the African Refugee and Immigrant Organization.

However, OVP recognizes these services alone are not enough to address the root causes of gun violence in our community. There is demand, now more than ever, to keep street level outreach and violence prevention programs funded.

Just last week, the Office of Violence Prevention, alongside Mayor Ted Wheeler and the Community Safety Division, awarded $500,000 to 5 community-based partners. These groups have lived experience, access, credibility and a willingness to address Portland’s gun violence with street level outreach workers and credible messengers.

Community-based organizations continue to show up every single day to make a difference, and OVP is proud to work with them toward a safer Portland.

In the future, OVP and the City of Portland plan to prioritize collaboration with a variety of organizations, including county, state, faith-based, school, and community-based groups, to more effectively reduce gun violence in our community.

Statement from Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler:

“The murder of three people over the weekend is still an active investigation and we continue to seek information from the public to bring justice to those impacted by this tragedy. As such, we are limited in the information we are able to provide at this time. My team and I have been in regular communication with the Portland Police Bureau and our public safety partners. We have deployed additional police personnel from the Enhanced Community Safety Team, Homicide Unit & Focused Intervention Team to investigate and provide further assistance. Staff from the Office of Violence Prevention and outreach partners continue to meet with those who have been impacted by this violence. We have also redeployed street level outreach teams to connect with community members and interrupt further safety disruptions.”

Original source can be found here.