U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.) is scheduled to host a town hall meeting at Lake Oswego High School on the evening of June 16.
In a concerning turn of events, the Lake Oswego Police Department has announced plans to send three officers to the event for security purposes.
This decision marks a shift from their initial stance last week, when the department declined to provide on-site security for Rep. Bynum’s gathering.
Two significant incidents prompted this change in course.
Firstly, a tragic incident unfolded in Minnesota over the weekend, where a gunman fatally shot Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in what authorities described as a political assassination.
The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, is also accused of breaking into the home of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman, where he shot both the senator and his wife, who are reportedly in serious condition in the hospital.
Law enforcement officials recovered a hit list in Boelter’s possession, which included the names of numerous politicians.
The second factor influencing the police department’s decision came after an inquiry from WW, which asked why they would not send officers to Bynum’s event, a common precaution for officials during public appearances.
In response, the Lake Oswego Police Department took issue with the characterization that it had backtracked.
Sgt. Tom Harper, an LOPD spokesman, stated in an email to WW that the department had always intended to provide security for Bynum but just not in a visible, on-site capacity.
However, Bynum’s office had a different interpretation of the LOPD’s initial communication.
According to a conversation between Bynum’s team and the police department, they had requested over the phone that LOPD provide on-site officers for the town hall.
In an email dated June 13, Lt. Mike Scott informed Bynum’s office that the police would instead have two officers stationed at the middle school across the street from the town hall rather than at the event itself.
He noted that Bynum’s team could call 911 in case of an emergency.
Scott wrote, “After reflecting on our conversation, I think 911 is probably the best number to call first in an emergency. The backup should be nonemergency.”
Koray Rosati, a spokesperson for Bynum, expressed disappointment on Friday over the department’s decision, stating that it was surprising for the LOPD to decline to commit to keeping the community safe.
Bynum has conducted eight town halls since taking office on January 1, and Rosati noted that this marked the first instance in which police security was not readily offered.
However, shortly after WW’s inquiry on Saturday, the LOPD reversed its earlier stance.
The department issued a statement denying that it had ever declined to provide security and emphasized that they had always planned to offer some level of officer protection nearby.
In an email to WW, a police spokesperson stated that LOPD had been in communication with Bynum’s staff to determine the appropriate security measures for the event.
They also acknowledged being aware of recent violent incidents across the country and assured that they would continue to communicate with Bynum’s office to adjust their security response as needed.
Just 15 minutes later, Lt. Scott communicated with Bynum’s team regarding the recent violence in Minnesota, stating that they would staff an additional officer for the event and have all officers present on the Lake Oswego High School campus rather than staged nearby.
Sgt. Harper clarified that the department’s original plan was to keep officers out of sight to allow for open dialogue during the event.
However, after the tragic events in Minnesota, they decided to increase security as a precaution.
Bynum’s spokesperson, Blakely Wall, expressed that the representative was disappointed that it took an incident involving violence to prompt a security response, particularly after media inquiries highlighted the department’s initial reluctance.
Despite her frustration with the LOPD’s handling of the situation, Bynum is grateful that security will now be provided at the town hall.
image source from：https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2025/06/16/lake-oswego-police-reverse-course-over-onsite-security-for-bynum-town-hall/
