Sheriff's riot squad likely to step back from crowd control Mass defections from Portland's rapid response unit cited as sheriff's unit curbed. Multnomah County will rein in use of its crowd control unit to police protests in the wake of the mass resignation of Portland Police Bureau's Rapid Response Team, a top union official says. The informal commitment was made in response to concerns voiced by the county's 15-member unit, which bears the same name as the Portland RRT, said Sgt. Matt Ferguson, president of the Multnomah County Deputy Sheriffs Association, which represents the unit's members. Ferguson said the concerns driving the informal change echoed those voiced by the Portland unit when its 50 members resigned from their controversial assignment on Wednesday, June 16: lack of support by Portland's leaders, and a feeling that District Attorney Mike Schmidt was more tolerant of rioters attacking police than of police who use force as trained and directed by management. (See story, Page A1; editorial, Page A6.)