Oregon recriminalizes possession of hard drugs

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Oregon's experiment with drug decriminalization officially ended on Sunday, with a new misdemeanor charge going into effect for people caught using or possessing hard drugs.

The change also came with the creation of new drug deflection programs that offer offenders the opportunity to avoid jail time if they accept treatment.

"Cleaning up the streets, getting the drugs off the street is probably a thing," said one Oregon resident.

"We can't just fill up our jails with people who are obviously needing help," said Heather Siegfried, another Oregon resident.

"I don't think it's fixing the problem, I think it's fixing the symptom," said Matt Tracy, another Oregon resident.

House Bill (HB) 4002 finally went into effect sunday, a new law that partially rolled back parts of Measure 110.

That measure was approved in 2020, decriminalizing small amounts of hard drugs like cocain, eheroin and fentanyl, with the only punishment being a fine.

But after increased drug use, especially with fentanyl, Governor Tina Kotek signed the bill rolling back parts of the law, and making hard drug possession a crime once again.

"When it was decriminalized, there wasn't enough resources that were put in to making sure that people who needed the help to go to treatment could find a bed and go to treatment. We definitely need to make sure that people have the resources that they need so that they can get off drugs, stay sober and turn their lives around."

Heather Siegfried, Oregon Resident

This time, counties will have their own deflection programs, meant to offer drug users the chance to avoid jail time by opting into treatment.

For example, anyone found with hard drugs in Multnomah County will be handcuffed while police check for outstanding warrants.

If they don't have any, they could be offered deflection, however, the county's deflection center isn't ready yet.And in the meantimethe county plans to use a mobile outreach team.

Another issue is that due to staffing, deflection will only be offered to those found with drugs between 8:00am to 8:00pm on weekdays. Outside of those hours, it's a citation, or straight to jail.

"Recriminalization, I think, is going to help us get back on track with providing the help to the folks who are addicts...They're good plans, but you have to put them into implementation. It takes a while, [and] people need to be patient about it," Tracy expressed.

Others think the deflection centers are a good idea, but without the right resources, not much will change, and think arresting drug users might just be the quick answer.

"If you get a record, then it's hard to find housing, then it causes all other problems for you that make it even more difficult to stay sober and stay off the streets too," Siegfried remarked.

Meanwhile, officials with public transportation, like TriMet, believe it's a good move, and think it will help law enforcement better address issues with the drug crisis.

"This new tool gives us an ability to actually go out there and work with our law enforcement personnel to increase penalties out there on the system," Andrew Wilson, Chief Safety Officer (CSO) and Executive director of Safety and Security at TriMet