Democrats believed, for some unfathomable reason, that months of rioting, looting, arson, vandalism, assault, and murder in Democrat-controlled states and cities would somehow be a winner for them in the 2020 election. “Unexpectedly,” the American people are appalled by the on-going rioting and violence, and as a result, support for Joe Biden, the Democratic Party, and Black Lives Matter are all slipping.
In a panic, Democrats are desperately attempting to pin the antifa/BLM #BidenRiots in Democrat strongholds on President Trump. This is laughable on its face given Trump’s consistent condemnation of the Democrat riots and his repeated (mostly rejected) appeals to Democrat governors to permit federal law enforcement to quell the rampant leftist urban violence.
Democrats also appear to, finally, understand that they need to step up and get their cities under control. Granted, they are doing it for political reasons and not humanitarian ones, but at least there is, after over three months, some Democrat agreement that lawlessness is bad.
To that end, Oregon governor Kate Brown devised a plan to try to get the rioting under control in Portland. Part of her plan includes sending law enforcement from neighboring counties into Portland to establish a strong police presence.
The problem? She didn’t consult with these neighboring counties first, and the sheriffs in these counties rejected her plan due to the lack of support for law enforcement and to progressive “restorative justice” that acts, effectively, as catch and release. Caught committing acts of vandalism, arson, assault, and assorted mayhem? No problem! You’ll be back on the street in time for tomorrow night’s burning, looting, murder riot event.
For some reason, neighboring sheriffs aren’t willing to sacrifice their officers on the altar of Brown’s demagoguery and left-wing lunacy.
The sheriffs of Clackamas and Washington County in Oregon said they won’t send staff to help with the nightly unrest in Portland after Gov. Kate Brown unveiled a plan to bring an end to violence in the city.Brown had asked the sheriffs and the Gresham Police Department to support the Portland Police Bureau with personnel and resources “to keep the peace and protect free speech.”Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts on Monday said the governor never approached him before unveiling her plan to mobilize local law enforcement agencies in the Portland protests, and that he has no plans to send his staff to nightly demonstrations.. . . . “Had Governor Brown discussed her plan with my office, I would have told her it’s about changing policy, not adding resources,” he said, according to a statement released by Kellee Azar, a reporter with Portland’s KATU. “Increasing law enforcement resources in Portland will not solve the nightly violence and now, murder.”He said that Portland’s newly elected district attorney had dismissed charges against hundreds of protesters arrested for non-violent, low-level crimes.“The same offenders are arrested night after night, only to be released by the court and not charged with a crime by the DA’s Office. The next night they are back at it, endangering the lives of law enforcement and the community all over again,” Roberts continued. “The criminal justice system will need do its part and hold offenders accountable.”The sheriff added that his staff would still assist Oregon State Police with service calls that they normally handle in Clackamas County.. . . . Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett also released a statement on Monday, saying he’s committed to supporting Portland Police through “indirect ways, like analyzing risks associated with social media, air support, assisting with a specific criminal investigation, etc.””I do not plan to send deputies to work directly in Portland,” Garrett said, according to the station. “The lack of political support for public safety, the uncertain legal landscape, the current volatility combined with intense scrutiny on use of force presents an unacceptable risk if deputies were deployed directly.”A Gresham police spokesperson told The Oregonian, “We are in agreement with the other agencies.”Meanwhile, the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police released a statement on Monday, saying “we cannot dedicate our limited resources away from the communities we serve,” according to KATU.
Brown, who just extended Oregon’s Wuhan coronavirus emergency declaration until November 3, 2020, is apparently going to pretend that their refusal to comply with her plan was built into her plan all along. Or something.
Fox News continues:
After the statement by Sheriff Roberts was released, Brown’s office told the station the plan is “meant to allow for this kind of flexibility in supporting each other as we all collectively deal with the difficult situation in Portland.”
Um, okay.
Brown is going to have to get this lawlessness under control, but it seems a task she is unwilling to take seriously. You don’t quell violent mobs by letting them run loose and hoping the violence “burns itself out,” by catch and release, by appeasement, or by any of the the other suggestions offered by feckless Democrat “leadership.”
Watch Brown talk about her plan and that if it doesn’t work, she’ll try something else:
With the sheriffs’ rejection of their surprise inclusion in her plan, the ball is back in Brown’s court. So far, she seems woefully unfit to meet the challenge.
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