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Outlaw's Outpost Chief Promises to Support Cops, Meets Copwatch Again

"My Country Right or Wrong" Same Analysis as "My Officers Right or Wrong"

Portland Police rank-and-file officers apparently felt disrespected by the Chief and Mayor calling for a listening session with the community after the media revealed a Lieutenant exchanged overly- chummy texts with right wing agitators (p. 1). Chief Outlaw then set up three listening sessions to hear cops' concerns (Oregonlive, March 22). Following the first session, the Chief sent out a memo saying "Let's reset" and promising "that Bureau brass as well as elected officials presume officers act with honor unless proven otherwise and ensure fair investigations of officer or Bureau actions." The problem with this pledge is it is the same as those who say "my country right or wrong" and get angry at those who criticize United States policies... or, for that matter, the police.

The article illustrates this point: "[Portland police] hear from officers in surrounding police agencies that they wouldn't dare work in Portland because of a perceived 'anti-police climate' and spoke of low morale." The Chief is quoted saying accountability and support of officers are not mutually exclusive. However, the article perpetuates the narrative of officers not wanting to take action for fear of being punished, which is another trope diverting the public's attention from lack of accountability. The officers continue to have guns, Tasers, batons, pepper spray and the power of law behind them, but complain about being criticized as if that is the equivalent of being shot, zapped, beaten, chemically assaulted, etc. by agents of the state. While the Chief and Mayor are promising to push back on presumptions of officer wrongdoing, what the community needs is for them to push back on garbage statements like those made by Officer Daryl Turner, President of the Portland Police Association, who called Portland a "cesspool" (PPR #75), who never offers condolences to families of those shot by the police (PPR #76) and who consistently ignores police violence when pointing to the clashes at demonstrations which prompted the Chief's listening sessions (see "Rapping Back").

At Fourth Meeting with Portland Copwatch, Still Disagreements on Terror Force, Crowd Control

As noted in previous issues, Chief Outlaw has been holding quarterly meetings with Portland Copwatch (PCW). In January, at the fourth such meeting, we raised a number of concerns which may or may not lead to any changes at the Bureau.

We continued to disagree around PPB participation in the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The meeting was two weeks before Council voted to pull the part-time officers out of the JTTF (p. 1), something Outlaw thought was not a good idea. And while she told the Skanner on January 24 "I'll leave the politics to the politicians,"* she appeared via video at February 12 and 13's Work Session and Council hearing to tout the importance of the spy unit, despite the FBI admitting they use people's immigration status to deport those they suspect, but can't prove, are "terrorists" (also PPR #76).

PCW expressed concerns about the high number of PPB-related deadly force incidents (p. 1) and asked the Chief to use her position to share concerns, as Chief Mike Reese did after a spate of shootings in 2010-2011 (PPR #53). The Chief did make mention of the high number of shootings at the February 6 OIR Group hearing before Council (p. 7). Chief Outlaw claimed one reason she hasn't been holding community information sharing sessions quickly after shootings is that she does not get any more information than the public until after the Grand Jury has concluded. We encouraged the Chief to meet with the District Attorney to ask whether there has been a clamp- down on information since the demise of the "48 hour rule."

Surprisingly, Chief Outlaw stated the crime scene tape which cut Chapman Square in half on November 17, separating alt-right and anti-fascist protestors, was not a formal dividing line and people could have gone under or around it. Knowing the consequences of overstepping police lines, most people would not try to do that. This seems like a form of deception which may have crossed from crowd management tactics to abuse of authority. A Copwatch member who attended the rally noted people on the sidewalk were told to leave, then cordoned off and cleared out, leading to arrests.

We also continue to push the Chief in regard to "sweeps" of houseless persons. Most "sweeps" are done by private security, with PPB standing by for support. We noted this sounds like aiding and abetting inhumane treatment.

PCW also raised concerns about profiling, PPB's strategic plan, and new unarmed police officers-- who, it was revealed after the program was approved, will not conduct meaningful police actions.

We will continue to meet with the Chief so long as it seems useful, and report back to the community both to be transparent and to hear whether people disagree with concerns we bring forward.

*-in the context of a question about the state legislature, but applicable here. Back to text.

May, 2019
Also in PPR #77

Portland Copwatch
PO Box 42456
Portland, OR 97242
(503) 236-3065/ Incident Report Line (503) 321-5120
e-mail: copwatch@portlandcopwatch.org

Portland Copwatch is a grassroots, volunteer organization promoting police accountability through citizen action.

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