The president of the Portland Police Association on Thursday criticized Oregon gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek for claiming she was always a supporter of law enforcement during the previous night’s debate.
Kotek, a Democrat, made comments during a debate with her challengers, Republican Kristin Drazan and independent Betsey Johnson. Mr.
The Democrat went on to argue that she has always been a supporter of police and law enforcement.
“It’s simply not true,” Sergeant said. Aaron Schmoutz said in an interview with Fox News Digital:
He accused Kotek, a former state legislator, of being overly critical of Portland police as the city dealt with 180 consecutive days of rioting.
“On one such occasion, (Cotec) said the police response to a blatant attempt to burn down a building adjacent to several businesses and homes was ‘no more than an empty building,’ They replied that it was the troops used to protect the building. It was inappropriate,” Schmautz said. “I think it just showed a lack of focus. And it showed a lack of support for law enforcement.”
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During Wednesday’s debate, Kotek suggested the state could increase the number of classes and training available to officers. emphasized the importance of serving
Legislative efforts aimed at curbing police overreach in Oregon’s urban areas ultimately had a major impact on law enforcement officers statewide, Schmautz said.
“The legislative effort had nothing to do with these areas. It had to do with the politics of the time. But it had a big impact,” Schmautz said. “Again, I don’t think there is anything on the record to suggest a lenient approach or support for law enforcement in rural, urban, suburban, or metropolitan areas.”
He added: “The substantiated record is a sort of whip reaction to the incident, as opposed to a thoughtful approach.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to Kotek’s campaign to reiterate her pledge to work with law enforcement if elected.
“Tina has always helped fund local law enforcement, and as governor, she will work with them to make our community safer,” said communications director Katie Wetemer. “By contrast, Christine Drazan has been linked to violent extremists, including a far-right militia leader and the man who helped fund the Jan. 6 rally,” he told Fox News Digital in a statement. It’s tied in. Tina is the only gubernatorial candidate who keeps Oregon’s family safe and stands up to extremists.”
Fox News’ Timothy HJ Nerozzi contributed to this report.