Portland Homeless Liaison Steps Down

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Portland Homeless Liaison Steps Down

Photo Credit: Kaia Sand


Rebecca Ellis of OPB reports that after wide publicization and a lengthy hiring process, Stephanie Herro, Portland’s first Police Homeless Liaison, has left the position with little information given to the public as to why.  


The police bureau is not seeking to fill the position any time soon, with Lt. Greg Pashley pushing the prospect back to the beginning of the next fiscal year. The Office of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler put out a statement stressing the importance of filling the position again, but gave no definite dates either. 


Herro’s departure leaves many essential projects left unfinished. This ranged from the prevention of jailing for drug offenses, integrated training between police and the Portland Street Response, and a reclassification of hate crimes to include those directed at the homeless. 


With coronavirus pushing more people out of their homes, this restructuring of police and homeless relations is a pressing item on Mayor Wheeler’s agenda. 


You can read the original article here. 


Check out Vulnerable People and Places for more stories and information affecting the streets of Portland and beyond. 


Kim Hayes is a senior at Portland State University graduating with a Bachelor of Science in History.   

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