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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The questions swirling over when — or if — National Guard troops show up in Portland affect everyone, including the police.
PPB Sgt. Aaron Schmautz, the president of the Portland Police Association, told KOIN 6 News they are “waiting to hear what our role will be in navigating anything that comes our way” as they continue to “navigate public safety in Portland.”
But at the moment, they are operating without clear guidance from city leaders or federal partners.
Schmautz hopes there will be better coordination now than there was in 2020 when, he said, silence caused chaos.
“The real issue (in 2020) was City Council directed the bureau to not communicate with the federal government at all, and that led to a lot of circumstances where we did not know what each other were doing,” he said, “and it, in my opinion, led to really some bad outcomes.”
Portland Police chief Bob Day echoed that uncertainty in a Monday press conference. He said the Oregon State Police are the lead liaison with the Oregon National Guard, but added, “It really is a day-by-day basis.”
Schmautz said he’s trading notes with police union leaders in other cities where the National Guard is deployed. But here in Portland, he is pushing for calm and conversation as the city keeps healing.
“We need to be focused on recovering. We have a city that is recovering and it needs to continue to do so,” he said. “We want to not damage our reputation as a result of a political moment that can be dealt with through conversation.”
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield on Friday will ask US District Judge Michael Simon to block the National Guard deployment with a temporary restraining order and a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
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Anthony Kustura
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