|
|
Site NavigationHomeAbout us People's Police Report Shootings & deaths Cool links Other Information Contact info Donate
|
Police Association Contract Sessions
Mid-day on March 13, down the block from Portland Police Association (PPA) headquarters,
members of a number of groups met at the site of the Dickie Dow memorial at N. Fenwick and
Lombard. Dickie Dow was killed after a number of Portland Police officers piled on him there in
October 1998 (PPR #19). The
The City's bargaining team seems to be mostly more prepared to push back against the PPA's
shenanigans than in the past, in part because they hired a seasoned labor attorney, Steven Schuback,
to lead them. The City's previous Bureau of Human Resources (BHR) head, Anna Kanwit,
surprised everyone by showing up as a hired consultant for the PPA at the first meeting. Though
The current BHR published a document in mid-February summarizing the two public forums held in November and December. While it contains a lot of information, the report missed some broad nuances and important specifics which were brought up at both hearings. Some important issues around oversight and discipline received one sentence, while hiring was given four. There was no mention, for instance, of the controversial "standard of review" by which the Citizen Review Committee has to defer to the police when hearing appeals of misconduct cases (see article). Unsurprisingly, PPA attorney Anil Karia made mention of this document at the second session, angrily noting that once the sessions were underway, the only opinions which matter are the City's and the "union's." PPA President Daryl Turner released a nasty screed putting down the public forums and the community concerns in January (see "Rapping Back"). A good portion of both meetings was taken up by both sides heading into caucuses, meaning they were having private discussions and the dozen or so community and media members there to observe were sitting alone in the large meeting rooms making small talk to pass the time. At the March 13 event, Barbara Vickers reminded everyone things will only change if we stand up and demand it together. Donna Hayes talked about Quanice, his life, how the loss affected her family, and ways she has been organizing through Pacific Northwest Family Circle. Most of the 20 people present then began a "picket line" with signs calling out for justice, marching up and down the block to connect the memorial with the PPA's front door. As the event wrapped up, Quanice's great-grandmother Sylvia Dollarson told the crowd the movement needs more people in order to make a difference.
Watch a video of the March 13 event at <youtu.be/8ZZYAH34KLs>.
|
May, 2020
|
|
Portland Copwatch Portland Copwatch is a grassroots, volunteer organization promoting police accountability through citizen action.
People's Police Report
#80 Table of Contents
|
gathering included Dickie's mother
Barbara Vickers and Donna Hayes, the grandmother of
Quanice "Moose" Hayes. Quanice Hayes was killed in February, 2017 by a police sniper (
the City filed a motion to stop Kanwit, who likely
knows insider information to benefit the PPA, the
court denied it. While the two sides ended up agreeing on a number of basic ground rules,
including that they would put out joint news releases after each meeting to keep the public up to
date on progress being made, there were a few sticking points. One was whether the City had to
keep secret any document labeled "confidential" by the PPA; Schuback noted the City would look
to state law to determine what was privileged or not. The other was whether city employees who
weren't directly involved in bargaining could attend the alternating meetings which are not being
held in public.