OSP and PPB have produced fast results for Governor Kotek’s strategic fentanyl directive.
On Wednesday, October 18, the Oregon State Police teamed up with the Portland Police Bureau’s Central Bike Squad for another joint operation. Their mission was simple: go to a single area in downtown Portland and disrupt and deter the unlawful sale of fentanyl on the open streets.
Seven state troopers on mountain bikes, patrol troopers and undercover OSP detectives from the Drug Enforcement Section worked with four PPB bike officers to arrest eight people for either delivery of fentanyl or possession of fentanyl. Law enforcement also seized suspected fentanyl pills and powder and recovered three illegally-possessed handguns over the course of one night.
This joint operation also resulted in seven arrests for the Delivery of a Controlled Substance (fentanyl), one arrest for the Possession of a Controlled Substance (fentanyl), and two of the arrestees had an additional charge for the Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. The result was several thousand dollars in currency seized and approximately 500 grams of powdered fentanyl. That’s enough fentanyl to distribute 250,000 lethal doses into the community.
All of these enforcement actions took place in an area of approximately 12 blocks with a concentration of these arrests in a much smaller area.
All the arrested suspects were lodged in the Multnomah County Jail. Of the suspects, all were male- seven adults and one juvenile.
“Our collaborative PPB/OSP patrols are making a difference. We are committed to bringing a sense of safety to the downtown core, disrupting and deterring dangerous criminal actions, and aiding our vulnerable population in breaking the grasp of fentanyl.” – Superintendent Casey Codding.
