Domestic terrorism climbs in Oregon; report finds ways to mitigate it

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Only five states had more domestic violent extremist attacks than Oregon in a 10-year period that included one year where Oregon had 10% of all the incidents recorded in the nation.

That's among the findings of a new advisory report released Wednesday by the Oregon Secretary of State and the Oregon Audits Division.

Between 2011 and 2020, 22 domestic violent extremism incidents were reported in Oregon.

Of those, 11 were reported in 2020 alone. That number accounted for 10% of all incidents in the nation in 2020. The report says domestic violent extremism incidents rose steeply both nationally and in Oregon in 2019 and 2020.

The only states that had more violent extremist attacks than Oregon in this decade were New York, California, Florida, Texas and Washington.

Key Takeaways from the Domestic Terrorism Advisory Report:

• Create legislation to address ways Oregon could mitigate future risk
• The Oregon Homeland Security Council should establish a statewide strategy
• Oregon should revise its infrastructure protection plan
• Leverage federal funding opportunities for programs to counter violent extremism
• Oregon should make available information about domestic violent extremists plots, threats
• Oregon should do more to increase public awareness of the risks of and methods for violent extremism

Details about these takeaways

“The rise in domestic terrorism is an immediate threat to Oregonians and we cannot simply wait for the next incident to occur,” Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said. “We can and must take immediate steps to prevent individuals at risk from being radicalized and becoming violent.”

The report looked at data and research to find gaps where Oregon could improve its rules and practices to help prevent domestic, violent extremism statewide. 

Oregon is one of only 16 states that does not have any legislation defining or criminalizing domestic terrorism or domestic violent extremism at the state level. The report says creating legislation to address this could allow the state ways to mitigate future risk. 

It also says the Oregon Homeland Security Council is the advisory body for emergency management and situational awareness of domestic extreme risks in the state, but the council should establish a statewide strategy with specific outcomes for countering violent extremism activities. 

“There has to be a balance between the right to speech, the right to privacy and the right to monitor violent extremism,” said State Audit Director Kip Memmott.

The report says Oregon should formalize relationships between law enforcement agencies so they avoid confusion and miscommunication when responding to domestic violent extremism. Law enforcement is also encouraged to provide better training to identify people at risk of becoming violent

The state should revise its infrastructure protection plan, the report says, to consider the evolving threat of domestic violent extremism. The state is encouraged to leverage federal funding opportunities for programs to counter violent extremism and to encourage local entities to do the same. 

According to the report, the lack of publicly available information about domestic violent extremists plots and threats makes it more difficult for policymakers to understand the nature and extent of the threat. The state is encouraged to make this information publicly transparent in a way that it doesn’t violate people’s privacy or harm state security. 

Lastly, the report says the state can do more to increase public awareness of the risks of violent extremism and the methods used by extremist groups to target and recruit people online. 

“This violence affects everybody no matter where you’re from, what your stripe is or what your ideology is,” said Memmott.

The decade between 2011 and 2020

Between 2011 and 2020, the number of U.S. domestic violence incidents from violent “far-right” groups and violent “far-left” groups was nearly equal. There were 12 incidents reportedly caused by far-right groups and 10 by far-left groups, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

The report states that social media and online forums are increasingly used to influence and spread violent extremist narratives and activities. The stress of the global pandemic has only exacerbated the threats. 

“According to the FBI, the greatest terrorism threat is posed by lone offenders, often radicalized online, who look to attack soft targets, such as schools, places of worship, or businesses, with easily accessible weapons,” the report states. 

Oregon's history of extremism

Oregon has a history of violent extremism. The report mentions the 1984 bioterrorism attack in The Dalles where 751 people suffered food poisoning due to the deliberate contamination of salmonella. This was carried out by followers of guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

It also highlights the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, the incident in Portland in August 2020 when someone was fatally shot during a protest, and the December 2020 event when far-right protesters breached the Oregon State Capitol.