Portland has a longstanding tradition of political protests stretching back to the civil rights era. While many have been peaceful, some have spiraled into tensions between demonstrators and law enforcement, as the City witnessed in 2020. Since then, the Portland Police Bureau has put a new emphasis on communication and building relationships with protestors. That's where dialogue liaison officers like Jessica Ruch (pronounced “Roosh”) come in.
Wearing distinctive white shirts, Ruch and other dialogue officers are on the scene before, during, and after protests to cooperate with organizers and keep people safe. We caught up with her recently to find out more about how she approaches public safety and the right to protest.
What is a dialogue liaison officer? Part of our heritage here in Portland is expressing our First Amendment rights, which include protests. A liaison officer is there to ensure that everybody has the resources they need from the city because this is our home. We also get an idea of what that group is going to need to create or hold a safe space. So if they're going to march, we want to make sure the route is going to be safe, so they don’t get into conflict with traffic or counter-protesters. It helps to know their intentions. A lot of protests these days have mediators within the crowd that help self-manage the event. We just check in to make sure they have all the resources they need.
Does all this happen during the protest? We try to do as much outreach as possible before an event. We also connect in the moment to be available for them. We're very visible throughout the event. Afterwards, any opportunity we can have to debrief with anybody involved in the planning or a leadership role is always great. So we know how we can serve them better and we can express if we saw a big safety concern, so future events go off without any hitch and they can continue to spread whatever message they're trying to do safely.
Sounds like you're trying to help the protesters. We're trying to help anybody who wants to be out there. I mean, I've been at marches. I’ve been at counter-marches. I've been at First Thursday. We want to make sure that everybody has the right to have their opinion and express their opinion, safely and respectfully, so that all parts of our community can still engage in their rights fully.
How did you get into this line of work? I’ve been a police officer for a little over three years now. Before that I worked in outdoor schools and summer camps. Later I worked in shelters and domestic violence. I went back to school and earned a degree in criminal justice. One of my instructors was also a Portland Police sergeant and he suggested I consider applying with the Police Bureau.
Have you ever been in a protest as a participant? I grew up in Portland, so... Yes! I grew up going to protests. This is not something to be tolerated grudgingly. As an American, I know protest is important and I respect that. There is a reason they're out there. There's a reason it's our First Amendment. It’s not just a protest, it’s also a celebration of community and values.
You don’t sound like a riot cop. Right. We don’t have a riot squad any more. That’s an antiquated model. That vocabulary implies that the entire group of protestors has a single mindset. That’s not what we see. We are focused on safety. We do have a rapid response team who are trained to respond to potentially hazardous situations like civil disturbances or natural disasters. They come in when they need to address something quickly, and then they get out of there. We don’t want to be the bad guys.
Where were you when George Floyd was murdered? I was actually working for the City and doing schoolwork at night to become an officer. It was a defining moment. And it wasn’t just a defining moment. It shaped our understanding what role the police have in a community and what we expect of ourselves moving forward. How do we become what we want to become?
What’s your biggest concern when you’re in a protest? My greatest fear is that a car will come into a protest. I’m like a lifeguard, my eyeballs are constantly scanning for vehicles. Both for someone who’s just frustrated about the disruption and for someone who’s deliberately targeting protesters.
How do you calm people down when emotions are running high? Give them voice. Give them voice and the opportunity to find the language they need for what they need to express. They don’t feel heard. Most of what I do is listening to people and reading what their needs are.
Do you agree with them? It is our job as police officers to support their ability to express their views, but not to express our own opinions. That’s not easy! And it’s frustrating for people who are amped up. They want us to agree with them. But by being neutral in those situations, it helps people know it's safe to express their opinions, no matter what they are.
What are some of your favorite things about Portland? Powell’s Books. When I was a teenager we used to go there and play Sardines. I don’t think I could get away with that now. I lived in Arizona for a while, but I chose to come back to Portland because ultimately this is my home. We love to go hiking in the coast range, or the Olympic Peninsula. And we just got a puppy named Lily. She keeps us busy!
Learn more about the dialogue liaison team at the Portland Police Bureau.
See how dialogue liaison officers worked with protest participants at a peaceful gathering and march in April.