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Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, sent the following letter to the Portland City Council today in support of the Portland Police Bureau Gun Violence Reduction Team.
Dear Mayor Wheeler and Commissioners,
I am writing in support of the Portland Police Bureau’s Gun Violence Reduction Team. I want to make sure you are aware this unit of PPB’s Tactical Operations Division is part of a multi-agency metro region collaboration to reduce gun violence in Multnomah County. This unit is made up of officers with significant regional expertise and a deep knowledge of the community.
As part of the Justice Department’s National Project Safe Neighborhood program, the Portland Area Crime Gun Initiative was formed in August 2017 with partners from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Portland Police Bureau, Gresham Police Department, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Oregon State Police, Oregon State Crime Lab, FBI and ATF. Using national research in reducing gun violence, partners committed to improving policies, practices and collaboration when responding to shootings in the metro area including outreach and prevention efforts. Part of the improvements undertaken by PPB included revised policies on investigating gun crimes and creating the Gun Violence Reduction Team to examine and triage investigations on every shooting in the city. Some of the data and successes of this effort were contained in a recent PPB press release on gun violence in Portland.
Using objective ballistics technology and shared investigative resources, we are connecting the dots more rapidly on shootings and increasing the opportunity to prevent the next tragedy.
The Gun Violence Reduction Team has been a critical partner in the Portland Area Crime Gun Initiative and officers have been active in training other investigators in Oregon and Washington. Local and federal partners have committed resources to this effort for the benefit of the community including providing needed training and federally funded equipment for investigators.
Thank you for your continued support for this critical public safety effort.
Sincerely,
BILLY J. WILLIAMS
United States Attorney