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Statewide Commission's New Executive Director Wants
to Review Existing Police Discipline Standards

The Commission on Statewide Law Enforcement Standards of Conduct and Discipline (LESC) met for the third time in 2024 on November 21, with new Executive Director Lauri Stewart running the show. The LESC was formed during the 2021 legislative session with a purpose of establishing standards of conduct and discipline for law enforcement officials throughout the state, and they released their first set of standards in the second half of 2022 (PPR #88). The Commission is required by statute to review the standards every two years.

Stewart's name might sound familiar as she was the Community Relations/Mediation Program Manager for the "Independent" Police Review (IPR) in Portland from 2002-2007. Prior to her time with IPR, Ms. Stewart was an Indian Country Specialist for the Oregon US Attorney's Office. Afterward, Stewart held other jobs including nine years as Vice Chair of the Washington County Human Rights Council. Stewart is focused on legitimizing the LESC by adopting bylaws and providing members with orientation packets. The Commission has been flying by the seat of its pants since its inception. It is refreshing to see leadership calling for clearer organization. Ideally, this change will also come with a renewed effort for high standards of conduct and discipline, rather than the low expectations of law enforcement the Commission has codified thus far. While the two year deadline for reviewing the standards may have already passed, Stewart has distributed public comments to the commissioners and is determined to get that work done. However, a planned December meeting was canceled.

Stewart wants a more regular schedule for LESC meetings, likely once every two months. She intends to stagger commissioners' terms, offering the example that one of two people filling each of these criteria would rotate each year: Chief Law Enforcement officers, Law Enforcement labor representatives, local government representatives, and individuals representing communities or community-based organizations from people impacted by policing. It makes sense to stagger these terms, but the more important question is whether those positions even make sense. Public input has overwhelmingly favored rebalancing power on the LESC to give more voice to community members who experience law enforcement misconduct, such as families whose loved ones have been harmed by police.

It remains to be seen if legislation will be introduced in 2025 to further refine LESC's mandate. A representative from the office of State Representative Jeff Helfrich, a former Portland cop who has a seat on the Commission, was at the November 21 meeting and offered to submit a placeholder bill. There is one vacant position on the LESC for a representative of a federally recognized Indian tribe/Association of tribes within Oregon. This position was last held by Timothy Addleman, who was also a Chief of Police. Perhaps, if there is legislation introduced, this position's definition could be changed to ensure that the representative is not also a member of law enforcement.

January, 2025
Also in PPR #94

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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