Chamber Roundtable + TOUR

Measure 110: Community at a Crossroads, Part II
Impacts on local law enforcement and solutions for public safety

Join us for a roundtable conversation with Springfield Chief of Police, Andrew Shearer, about the state of public safety and law enforcement. Following the roundtable, participants will be invited to participate in a tour of the Springfield Jail.

The drug addiction and behavioral health crisis presents troubling impacts across our communities, straining resources and impacting quality of life. In November 2020, Oregon voters passed by referendum Measure 110, the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act by a 17-point margin. Ballot Measure 110 eliminated criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of any drug, including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, and earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars in cannabis tax revenue for building a statewide treatment network. The results of this reform effort are now coming into view, and some are not encouraging.

QUESTIONS WE’LL EXPLORE: How has Measure 110 impacted public health, safety, and law enforcement's effectiveness in fighting drugs and street crimes? What policy, funding, and partnerships are proposed to get us back on track? Are we spending money in the right way and on the right things? What does winning look like? How do we get people in the door who don’t want to (or can’t) seek help? What do we need to do today, to be where we need to be in five years?

About Chamber Roundtable Series
The Springfield Chamber's monthly Chamber Roundtable Series fosters interactive discussions on legislation and policy, community and economic development, and workforce and talent. Quarterly, these Roundtables will be coupled with an on-location business tour exploring some of the many unique industry leaders throughout the Springfield area.