Commissioner Gonzalez

Portland Copwatch has more than 30 years of experience observing police, analyzing police policy, attending police advisory group meetings, and sharing proposed improvements with the proper authorities. Often when we testify before City Council, we hear comments that reflect negatively on information we have shared, though that information is based on our experience and connections to communities subjected to police action.

We feel that the comments you made about our organization on Thursday, May 16, 2024 were out of line.

We testified on a proposed addition to the Portland Police Association contract that will allow officers of any rank to retire and be immediately rehired. We raised factual points about the history of the program (which Chief Day also alluded to in his testimony) where officers "self-separated" after being rehired, and about officers who chose to retire while they were facing either investigation or discipline. We acknowledged the Chief testified that he will consider officer disciplinary history in reviewing applications for the retire/rehire program, however, no criteria were shared in writing. We suggested creating such a list.

Here is how you addressed our testimony in your remarks before voting:

I also want to be crystal clear. I have strong objections to giving extreme groups like Copwatch, the right to dictate when the police chief chooses to hire retirees.

We were wondering if you can explain what it is about our organization or our proposal regarding the retire/rehire program that you find extreme?

Using derogatory names to describe a grassroots volunteer organization that is working towards a Police Bureau free of brutality, corruption, and racism feels like an attempt to stifle community participation.

We have cc'd Chief Day here to see if he shares this opinion that our group, which has a long history of dialogue with the current and with previous Chiefs, is "extreme," or indeed whether our suggestion for writing down criteria for the rehires-- that seems to jibe with the Chief's background check plan-- is "extreme" and whether we "dictated" that idea to him.

We don't expect a formal apology or retraction, but we do hope you will show our group more respect at future Council hearings. Unfortunately, such remarks are often made during the roll call for voting, which does not give us an opportunity for dialogue since we are no longer at the table after public testimony has ended.

Thank you