Oregon Public Broadcasting

A new joint report shows Portland Police officers being more judicious in their use of force. April Baer reports.

The report is a follow-up on recommendations made in 2007.

Stats compiled by the Portland Police Bureau, and the Independent Police Review Commission show that incidents in which officers used physical force declined slightly over those two years.

But complaints about use-of-force are down 58% since 2004.

Mary Beth Baptista is with the city's Independent Police Review Division.

Mary Beth Baptista    "We looked at Portland's use of force compared to peer jurisdictions: San Jose, Seattle, and Minneapolis. And they were chosen because they report publicly on use of force, and have similar definitions for reportable force. And San Jose and Minneapolis are similar sized cities as well."

Portland had about the same rate of police using force as Seattle and San Jose, but a lower rate than Minneapolis.

Some community groups outside city government say their questions about reporting use of force--especially in minority communities--remain unanswered.

Baptista says she's confident that the community's demand for information will keep those issues on the front burner.