Portland police prepare crowd control team to deal with potential election night violence

The Portland Police Bureau is preparing a Rapid Response Team to manage crowd control leading up to the election. The move comes amid growing concerns that Portland could face civil unrest similar to the riots seen during the 2020 and 2016 election cycles. 

Portland Police Chief Bob Day reinstated the team last June, and over 50 officers have been training monthly in preparation, according to KATU. One officer who volunteered for the team, Sarah Kerwin, emphasized her willingness to do so because of her commitment to protecting both citizens and officers.



"I feel like we as an agency have grown a lot. And I feel like we adapt to a lot of things. When we train in scenarios we learn to adapt. Do we need bikes? Do we need shields? Do we not need to be there? I feel that is adaption. And I feel like as an organization we have done that very well," she said.

KATU reported that one example of these changes is the use of protective shields by law enforcement. These shields are designed to protect officers from projectiles thrown by rioters, including Molotov cocktails. The shields can also be connected to form a protective wall with a roof if needed during particularly unruly situations.

Training for the Rapid Response Team includes tactical formations, such as columns and lines, and how to break from these formations when necessary. The training also incorporates legal and policy-based instruction.

"There's been a lot of legal and policy-based training because there have been a lot of changes to state law around crowd management since 2020, and our policies have been updated, so a lot of our training day is focused on that classroom," explained Cmdr. Franz Schoening.

Acting Assistant Chief Craig Dobson explained that the team’s primary goal is to restore "normalcy," especially if unrest breaks out due to the election. Dobson also mentioned that training would continue post-election.

The Portland Police Bureau's preparation efforts have extended beyond local training. According to KATU, two PPB leaders recently traveled to London to meet with police about crowd control measures used in Europe.