Portland Approves Police Oversight Changes
In the face of mounting criticism of Portland’s police system, city commissioners last night approved significant changes to how the city deals with police behavior.Some changes were made – as late as yesterday afternoon – to placate police concerns. But the police chief remained opposed, while Portland’s minority community offered conditional support. The new oversight system is meant to beef up the independence of police misconduct investigations. The auditor’s police review division can now have access to more information, and can actually subpoena people in the course of its investigations. And the newly constituted police review board will include citizens who aren’t chosen by the police chief. Speaker after speaker sat before the city council last night and used almost the same exact words as T. Allen Bethel, the president of the Albina Ministerial Alliance.“We do support the ordinance and it’s a great step towards where we need to go," he said.Police commissioner Dan Saltzman called the changes a “huge step forward.” But the bureau’s top cop, Chief Rosie Sizer blasted the new oversight system. "I find the process that was used to bring this ordinance forward to you, to be at the least unseemly, and at the worst, deplorable," she said.Sizer said that her bureau was deliberately “kept in the dark” in her words, by the auditor’s office, as the changes were developed. She said some changes made sense, but others didn’t seem necessary. Several times, Portlanders answered Sizer’s question by naming people who’ve died from police violence - including two who were shot in the last few months. But in cases like that, Mark Kramer, with National Lawyers’ Guild, even the improved oversight changes don’t go far enough. “Particularly, this – to be a credible body – needs to have the power to review deaths in custody and police shootings, and they don’t have that power right now," he said.The new system allows the auditor’s police review division to look at such cases after their closed. To do it earlier, Kramer agreed with commissioners, that the police union would have to agree. But some people who spoke said there’s a bigger issue, involving training, cultural sensitivity, and minority representation on the force. Bottom line, for Black Portlanders, like business owner Kevin Howard is this: “As a businessman, and as a grandfather and a father – I am scared," he said.Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the new police review system. The new oversight structure will get its own review in 90 days.
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