Grants Pass, Josephine County, and all of Oregon have been facing the perfect storm in the fight against hard drugs since the passage of Measure 110 in November 2020. Measure 110 decriminalized most unlawful possession of a controlled substance (PCS) offenses while providing significant grant dollars to addiction-related assistance programs.
Additional investments in addiction programs were welcomed and are still needed to this day. However, the decriminalization portion of Measure 110 made policing in Oregon so difficult that all sides of the political spectrum were calling for change. Enter HB 4002, which once again makes PCS an arrestable offense but encourages the use of a local deflection program rather than jail.
The first-ever statewide test of removing consequences for bad behavior in the hard drug arena was a miserable failure. Grants Pass, in particular, faced more than its fair share of additional consequences while a court case related to public camping worked its way to the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2024, when Grants Pass prevailed.
Local police professionals have confirmed that in recent years, Grants Pass (and other parts of Oregon) faced a significant influx of individuals camping in parks and public places who were previously not known to have resided locally. In other words, we now have more proof that those intending on bad behavior (or suffering from addictions) tend to gravitate toward areas where there are fewer consequences for such behavior.
HB 4002, making PCS illegal again, goes into effect on September 1st. The pendulum is finally about to start swinging back in the other direction with what I’m now calling “The Local War On Hard Drugs.” Grants Pass Police Chief Hensman confirmed on August 28th that arrests will once again begin on September 1st.
As discussed in a public meeting on August 29th, Josephine County District Attorney Josh Eastman and other members of the local justice system have made great progress setting up a local deflection program. While it will be several months until the program is up and running, the local deflection program will revolve around the use of expanded services at the Grants Pass Sobering Center as an alternative to the Josephine County Jail for PCS-type charges.
Now that we’re on the other side of the perfect storm, we must look ahead to ways we can win local battles and the eventual local war on hard drugs. With enough time and community-wide attention, we can go from being somewhat infamous for our unique local challenges to being known as the place where you don’t want to be if hard drugs are your thing.
Needless to say, local law enforcement and justice programs play a key role in this war. We need these programs to be strong and sufficiently funded at both the City and County levels. This is why I expressed my disappointment with both the City and County budget processes this year. Both agencies can easily provide more resources to the Sheriff’s office and the Grants Pass Police without any increases to taxes or fees, while still maintaining prudent budget financial policies. In fact, I showed both agencies during recent budget meetings the math behind how they can do just that.
Both Grants Pass and Josephine County are in a position to do more, but recently they have chosen not to. Both have significant new law enforcement-dedicated revenue sources in the current year which are underutilized. We must do better or change leadership. Leaders in the local war on hard drugs cannot be timid or overly fearful of what the future may hold.
We must instead find creative ways to solve problems when roadblocks are presented. We must consider the reasons and the potential rewards of saying yes, rather than continue making excuses for why we can’t take action.
We must also tap into the amazing volunteer spirit that is always alive and well in Grants Pass and Josephine County. Kudos to volunteer groups such as Park Watch GP, which are already cleaning up our parks and regularly reporting bad behavior to the police when they see it. Kudos also to those who work or volunteer in the addictions and recovery space.
Unlike many traditional wars, the local war on hard drugs will have a significant public return on investment, so to speak. Years ago, around the time I started some volunteer work in the addictions/recovery space, it was estimated that there is a seven-to-one return on dollars spent in addiction and recovery services. That’s because addictions come with huge costs, such as medical costs, police costs, crime costs, justice system costs, mental health costs, family relationship costs, and more.
We all have a role in the local war on hard drugs, and there is no shortage of opportunities to serve GP and Josephine County.
What do you think? Drop me a line at jay@VoteJayCPA.com to share your thoughts.
