PORTLAND, OR -- Portland Police reinstated the Rapid Response Team over the summer, and it's now preparing for potential unrest related to Election Day. More than 50 officers took part in their last training before November fifth, practicing with new shields that are fireproof and impact resistant. "We are looking at integrating public order shields into this team's capabilities, as an additional way to de-escalate," says Commander Franz Schoening, "When we encounter folks out there who want to engage in conflict during disorder, the shields are hopefully going to be one more tool to allow us to de-escalate that conflict."

Other tools are also available, depending on what they encounter, "Officers are equipped with internal, basically blunt armor, they wear under their uniforms to protect them from thrown projectiles or blunt objects. They have helmets, hearing protection, gas masks, all of that is the same as it was in 2020."

Schoening says the Rapid Response Team has met monthly since June, "That training has really been pretty introductory training. So, part of it is as simple as getting familiar with the equipment they're going to be wearing- the protective equipment they'll be wearing, how to gather together in formations. There's been a lot of legal and policy-based training because there's been a lot of changes to state law."

Sgt. Sarah Kerwin is again part of the Rapid Response Team. She says this newest version is more adaptive than the previous incarnation that disbanded three years ago, "When we train in scenarios, we learn to adapt- do we need bikes? Do we need shields? Do we not need to be there?"

KBND News asked Commander Schoening how serious is the threat of civil unrest on or after November fifth? He responded, "The community is worried and we've heard that loud and clear. That's been communicated to us by the community, by business groups, through our local elected officials. The reality is, there is no intelligence, no indication of any credible threat of disorder that's going to happen on Election Day." He says Portland is a strong First Amendment city, with a history of demonstrations. And, he acknowledges there is lingering trauma from the 2020 unrest, which PPB doesn't want repeated, "We anticipate, depending on how the election goes, there will be First Amendment events; there will be people gathering to engage in protected speech. Anytime that happens in large numbers, there are people in the city who look for those opportunities to come out and create problems, to engage in property destruction, assault on police officers."

He says the RRT is an all-hazards team, and can also assist in things like urban search and rescue and earthquake recovery.