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Police Accountability Commission Begins Research Phase
by Philip C.

Starting in April, the Police Accountability Committee (PAC) began meeting with stakeholders to identify best practices for (and barriers to) police accountability. Common themes heard from [screen capture of Portland City Council online meeting]stakeholders (including the Portland Police Association) are that the current system is too complex, it lacks transparency, and neither the police nor the public believe it works the way it should. Appearing at meetings, both Mayor Wheeler and Chief Lovell indicated they don't want, and shouldn't have, the responsibility of disciplining officers and suggest that another entity that specializes in police oversight would be more appropriate. Many, if not most, of the stakeholders believe the general public doubts the legitimacy of the police accountability system which results in under-reporting of misconduct, further trauma of victims, and distrust of the police and City. After over 100 straight days of police protests in 2020, Portland politicians and staff seemed to be walking on eggshells, hoping to avoid another lengthy conflict over police misconduct. While not much has actually changed with police oversight in Portland since the protests, the PAC, through a voter-approved ballot measure, is working to design a new unified oversight system.

The PAC has two sub-committees. One group is researching the benefits and drawbacks of police oversight systems in other cities and the other group is planning how to engage the community in the development of the new police oversight system. Including sub-committees, the PAC has been hosting 2-3 meetings per week in an effort to complete their work within the 18 month time-frame the city has provided.

For more information see portland.gov/police-accountability

   [People's Police Report]

September, 2022
Also in PPR #87

• Portland's New Gang Team Shoots at Three
  • Ongoing Trend of More Deadly Police Shootings in OR
• DOJ Lambastes City for Failures to Comply
• Dubious Ideas from Gang Team Advisory Group
• Staff Leaving More Independent Police Review
  • IPR Annual Report Continues to Lack Adequate Info
• Oversight Commission Begins Research Phase
• Inhumanity Towards Portland's Houseless People
• Sheriff: No Discipline for Offensive Coin
• More Protest Violence Suits Cost City Big Bucks
• Biased Force Use Ignored at Training Council
• Quick Flashes PPR #87:
 • Suit for City Records Has Unintended Consequences
 • Ex-Cop Who Rammed Suspect Pleads Guilty
 • Forest Grove Cop Convicted for Vandalizing BLM Signs
 • PPB Traffic Stop Data: More People of Color Targeted
 • Bunch of Cops on "Brady List"
 • Copwatch Helps Thwart Scams by Transfer Officers
 • Keaton Otis Remembered, 12 Years Later
• "Constitutional" Sheriffs: Troubling Trend
• Police Ask Input: Crowd, Force, ID Policies
• Rapping Back #87
  

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.

People's Police Report #87 Table of Contents
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