Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell is asking elected officials to take a tougher stand against demonstrators who break the law.
Lovell released the following statement following Monday night's riot:
Last night a residential apartment building was broken into and a fire was lit inside the building. Over the past several weeks, we have seen arson at occupied police precincts as well as the PPA office which is tucked into a residential neighborhood. Last night marked yet another escalation of the senseless violence. The families that live inside have done absolutely nothing to provoke a threat to their lives.
As I've stated repeatedly, the nightly violence is coming at increased cost. It is not only that occupied buildings are being targeted. Gun violence is skyrocketing. Emergency calls for service are not being answered. This is impacting the safety of our entire City and urgent action is needed. Our elected officials need to do their part to draw a line in the sand and to hold people accountable. The violent behavior must end.