About FlashAlert on Twitter:
FlashAlert utilizes the free service Twitter to distribute emergency text messages. While you are welcome to register your cell phone text message address directly into the FlashAlert system, we recommend that you simply "follow" the FlashAlert account for U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Oregon by clicking on the link below and logging in to (or creating) your free Twitter account. Twitter sends messages out exceptionally fast thanks to arrangements they have made with the cell phone companies.
Fifth annual event to be held on October 22, 2020, 5:00 pm
PORTLAND, Ore.—Hundreds of law enforcement officials and community members from throughout the tri-county area are coming together for the fifth-annual Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities event on October 22, 2020, via ZOOM hosted by the Muslim Educational Trust (MET) in Tigard, Oregon.
A video of last year’s event is available here.
This year’s theme is “Redefining Community and Public Safety Relationships”. Criminal justice and community leaders share perspectives in moderated panel discussions and engage with community members with comments and questions.
A panel of diverse community and law enforcement perspectives will delve into the topic of “Defunding Police and Reimaging Public Safety”. Public Safety leaders will lay out their goals for accountability, transparency and community engagement to build community trust. The audience will be provided the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments to all panelists.
Presenters include community leaders from Word is Bond, Coalition of Communities of Color, Reimagine Oregon, Latino Network, Muslim Educational Trust, and public safety leaders from the tri-county area including Chiefs, Sheriffs, District Attorneys, the U.S. Attorney and the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge.
For the last five years, leaders from public safety and civil society organizations have come together to build and strengthen trust with one another and to cultivate that trust within the communities served. The annual event has been held at MET since its inception in the fall of 2016.
The Building Bridges event series is sponsored by Washington County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Offices, Washington County Administration, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, City of Lake Oswego, Lake Oswego Respond to Racism, Concerned Citizens of West Linn, Latino Network, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, IRCO, Muslim Community Center of Portland, Tigard Police Department, Portland Office of Civic Life, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland Police Bureau, New Portlanders Foundation, Portland’s New Portlanders Policy Commission, Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center of Corvallis, Multnomah County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Offices, Urban League of Portland and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
If you have media inquiries or would like to book interviews with steering committee members, please contact Stephen Mayer of the Washington County District Attorney’s Office: Stephen_Mayer@co.washington.or.us, 971-708-8219.
Media outlets are also welcome to contact the following steering committee members:
- Wajdi Said; Muslim Educational Trust; wajdibek@yahoo.com
- J.W. Matt Hennessee; Pastor Vancouver Avenue Baptist Church; pastor.matth@comcast.net
- Jack Hanna; New Portlanders Foundation; jackahanna@gmail.com
- Linda Castillo; Commissioner for Hispanic Affairs and DEI Manager at IRCO; lindaC@irco.org
- Kezia Wanner; Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office; kezia.wanner@mcso.us
- Kevin Barton; Washington County DA; Stephen_Mayer@co.washington.or.us
# # #