Fighting Anti-Gang Policing

Anti-Gang Policing = Increased Policing of Communities of Color

Care Not Cops is working to end the inherently violent and racist policing of Portland's communities of color. Our work is rooted in the belief that policing endangers the health and well-being of communities. CNC understands the role of policing in enforcing social control and white supremacy which fuel gentrification, displacement, repression, and disempowerment of Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Currently our campaign aims to dismantle the gang policing unit of the Portland Police Bureau: the Gun Violence Reduction Team (GVRT). Anti-gang policing intensifies the violence, criminalization, and surveillance that is characteristic of policing as a whole.

Portland’s Gun Violence Reduction Team (GVRT) (formerly known as the Gang Enforcement Team) follows in the history and tradition of policing, from its early days of patrols to catch people escaping slavery and later enforcing Black Codes. 

Anti-gang policing has been used to crack down on street organizations seeking to protect themselves and fight for national liberation, as in the case of Los Angeles in the 1970’s. This form of policing has also been used by municipalities in order to advance gentrification, such as through the use of gang injunctions as were successfully defeated in Oakland. Gang databases are also used to levy heavier charges and increased profiling of Black, brown, indigenous, and immigrant communities. Gang enhancement serves to keep these communities locked up for longer and once imprisoned, gang affiliation can result in additional punishments such as solitary confinement. 

A recent audit of the GVRT found traffic stops by the team disproportionately affected Black Portlanders drawing community concerns and a growing demand to abolish Portland’s gang enforcement team. You can view the Portland City Auditor’s report here.

Care Not Cops advocated to abolish the GVRT during the 2019-2020 budget cycle. The demand was echoed by many community members and further pushed by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty.

We will continue to make this demand in the upcoming 2020-2021 budget cycle.

Check out our one page summary of anti-gang policing in Portland.