DCSO advises of Rainbow Family visitor impacts
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday issued a “public information bulletin,” similar to the information other law enforcement agencies have distributed, regarding the impacts of thousands of Rainbow Family members heading to a gathering on the Malheur National Forest.
Here it is, in full:
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has information that the Rainbow group may travel through Central Oregon on their way to their annual event in North Central Oregon scheduled for July 1 through July 7th .
This event could bring thousands of people to our area by the end of June.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has also learned to expect:
* Increased vehicle traffic and hitchhiking through our area;
* Expect to encounter lost and/or stranded motorists looking for the event;
* Expect disabled or abandoned autos on roadways and public lands.
* Due to the August 21st solar eclipse, it is believed many of the Rainbow’s
will choose to stay in Oregon to observe the eclipse.
What to watch for:
* Increased theft or criminal mischief especially to local merchants who sell
food, beverages or clothing;
* Petty theft of items on private property which are easily visible or in walking
distance from major roadways;
* Strangers trespassing on your property looking for food, gas, water or shelter.
Who are they?
The Rainbow family is a loosely affiliated group of individuals committed to principles of non-violence and egalitarianism. In 1997 the Rainbow Family held their annual event on the Ochoco National Forest and about 20,000 to 30,000 people attended. There were substantial impacts to the forest, forest roadways, state highways and nearby communities to include extraordinary demands on law enforcement, hospital and medical services, social services and businesses. The Rainbow family does not have centralized leadership, does not obtain proper permits and does not usually provide details about the location or activities of the event to law enforcement.
