Protests at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland have been largely peaceful amid President Trump’s repeated unsuccessful attempts to send National Guard troops to the site. Local law enforcement has successfully managed conflicts among protesters and counter-protesters and made arrests for those who commit property or other crimes.

In September, Portland Police Chief Bob Day told “Think Out Loud” that the bureau’s approach to these protests is consciously different from the one it took in 2020.

“The use of our Dialogue Officers has been so significant, where we embed officers early on,” he said. “These are officers that are clearly identifiable with white shirts. They’ve had additional training, and they go early on and try and establish communication and understanding, maybe provide some off-ramps for some of the dissidents so that … we can take the temperature down.”

Sergeant Daniel DiMatteo and Officer Jessica Ruch are two of these Dialogue Liaison Officers, who chose to take part in the program, along with their other duties. Ruch said she considers her DLO work a kind of extension of her other police duties.

“I like having those conversations with people. I typically work patrol downtown and there’s always going to be another call,” she said. “So we have to get through our work as quickly and efficiently as possible, and having this opportunity to have longer conversations about what those contacts mean to them is pretty rewarding, and I like doing that with everyone.”

DiMatteo said the initial reactions they get from people at protests range from the worst things you can think of to the best.

“We’ll walk over and we’ll have people tell us to, like they’ll swear at us, ‘F off.’ They’ll tell us to go kill ourselves. You will have people who will come up and say, ‘Thank you for being here.’ You will have people say they are grateful that we’re here, that we’re helping, we’re actually helping the community.”

DiMatteo and Ruch say they let the negative comments roll off them. They say they know why they’re there: to protect everyone’s right to free speech and keep the peace.

“For me, it doesn’t bother me because these people don’t know me on a personal level,” said DiMatteo. “So what’s happening is they’re mad at the government, at an institution. They’re mad at the uniform, they’re mad in general. So they’re saying something just out of, kind of rage or just … visceral. They’re also trying to get a response out of me.”

Ruch said unlike other altercations officers may deal with, clashes that stem from political views are deeply felt and hugely important.

“These aren’t small arguments that people are having or a difference of opinion. These are life-changing questions. And that’s why people come in with those emotions and those feelings,” she said.

Ruch said what the situation calls for is to simply be there for them. “It’s the same thing you would do any day — is be there for them, be human with them, talk to them about it, and ask what they think the future should look like.”

The Dialogue Liaison Officer program is relatively new, and DiMatteo says it reflects a commitment to explore new approaches and work to improve community policing. He says he thinks people are responding positively overall.

“They’re like, ‘Well, it’s a good approach,’ but they’re still a little wary of trust because they’re like, ‘Here’s what happened in the past.’ And I understand that lack of trust. So a lot of it is, I tell them, ‘We will take as much time as you need to build that trust back, but let’s see how this can work.’”

Sergeant Daniel DiMatteo and Officer Jessica Ruch spoke to “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller. Click play below to listen to the full conversation.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/11/13/portland-police-bureau-dialogue-liason-officer-law-enforcement-oregon-ice-protest/