Three days after Oregon kicked off its new drug possession law, is it working?

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – It’s been three days since Oregon’s new drug possession law went into effect , leaving the Portland community to wonder: “Is it working?”

The new law, House Bill 4002, recriminalizes the possession of small amounts of hard drugs for the first time since Measure 110 went into effect in 2020. It also gives people the choice between being charged and treatment when they are caught carrying drugs like fentanyl and meth.

Treatment, according to the law, includes completing a behavioral health screening and participating in a “ deflection program ” in order to sidestep fines.

Last Friday, Portland Police Chief Bob Day predicted a very narrow window in which people could qualify for deflection due to Multnomah County’s standards. For instance, a person is not eligible for deflection if they have any active warrants or additional charges.

Still, Portland police say roughly 40%  of the people they’ve caught using drugs since Sunday morning have already started the deflection process.

“This [drug] withdrawal is not like anything we’ve faced. And to top it off, you can get [fentanyl] for 50 cents to $1 and so, there hasn’t been this desire to get clean,” Sgt. Jerry Cioeta said. “So now maybe we can find a desire to get clean a little quicker.”

Sgt. Cioeta with PPB’s Central Precinct Bike Squad is no stranger to the drug epidemic on Portland’s streets, but he said that with the rollout of the state’s new drug possession laws, officers have more tools to help the community and those addicted.

“They ask the person, ‘Do you want to go to deflection?’ The resource team comes out if they do want to go to deflection. And then it just becomes a police report that is just an information report, that’s not a criminal report,” Cioeta said. “They go out of handcuffs, and it’s over. If they’re not eligible for deflection then we go another route.”

According to data from Gresham and Portland police, at least nine people have been arrested for drug possession, one was cited, and four people who qualified for deflection accepted services since Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office — which includes the Transit Police — told KOIN 6 News they have yet to arrest anyone for drug possession since the law went into effect.

4-D Recovery is one of the few mobile outreach providers working with the county to offer deflection services on the ground. On Monday, KOIN 6 News saw the team kickstart a woman’s deflection process — though no immediate services were available.

“We may not be able to get people into services right away, so that piece is still missing — that immediate access,” 4-D Executive Director Tony Vezina said.

In response, Multnomah County shared the following statement:

We are aware that the holiday weekend was challenging because many places were closed and not accepting clients. We also learned one person filled out the paperwork but had a dog, was worried about the dog and did not want to take additional steps at this time. In situations like these, a state-certified peer outreach worker will continue to support the individual in their recovery and keep them engaged. We’ve been informed that 4D will continue connecting with individuals for whom services were not immediately available to help them access services, including beds.

Access to treatment is expected to gradually expand as state investments kick in and as the County and its partners bring additional services online, including sobering. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners and the team at 4D Recovery for all their outreach efforts over the holiday weekend.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Cioeta said deflection is a work in progress as the city continues its fight against drug addiction.

“If you look at pictures of downtown Portland from today and in 2021, they’re vastly different,” Cioeta said. “Things are changing. Granted, there may be a little slower than people want them to be.”

Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to follow this story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.