MultCo. leaders address deflection center plans as public criticism grows

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – In a Wednesday press conference, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and other county leaders addressed plans for a deflection center that continues to incur criticism from the public and fellow commissioners.

The chair's deflection program will give those caught with hard drugs the choice between serving jail time or receiving treatment for a substance use disorder when House Bill 4002 goes into effect Sept. 1—once again outlawing the possession of hard drugs in the state.

However, Multnomah County’s new program could also allow drug users to avoid arrest and possibly walk away without mandated treatment. This outcome is possible for people who get dropped off at the deflection center and go through a screening and assessment with a peer counselor, but are not required to follow a plan for drug treatment.

Residents near the proposed site said the community should have more answers for what a potential deflection site could look like before the county opens its doors to what could be “little more than a front desk."

Vega Pederson has since shared a plan that would require someone dropped off at the deflection center to not just get a screening and referral for treatment, but also engage with the recommended service within 30 days.

In preparation for September, the county has already signed a contract with the Tuerk House — a Baltimore nonprofit that provides drug and alcohol treatment — to facilitate deflection resources on Southeast Sandy Boulevard.

“We must offer people suffering from addiction alternatives to incarceration, or we will be right back where we started,” Vega Pederson said. “Treatment is the best route to recovery. People’s lives are depending on opening more treatment options, and we are moving swiftly to do so.”

Recently, Chair Vega Pederson has faced criticism for developing her plan behind closed doors — without her fellow commissioners — in favor of planning with other county leaders.

Despite public sentiment, the program passed with a 3-2 vote — effectively allocating $2 million to the development of the center. Vega Pederson and her team have until Aug. 15 to develop a plan that answers the board’s concerns.

On Monday, Chief Bob Day sent a letter to the chair’s office in a plea to end the city’s public safety crisis. He said the county needs to begin picking up the pace to set up a 24/7 drop-off sobering center where drug users can seek treatment.

Chief Day expressed his support for the sobering center plan presented months ago by Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards, featuring up to 50 beds where police can bring someone with drug or alcohol intoxication. Rather than offering a treatment plan, the center would serve as a place to literally “sober up” and then seek treatment.

So far, Chair Vega Pederson has not agreed to move forward with a sobering center until mid-2025. Instead, her focus is on getting a deflection center up and running by September.