“Right now is a very difficult time in our community. People are hurt, they feel angry and confused. They want changes in how the police do business,” said Citizens’ Review Committee chair Michael Bigham, introducing a meeting to hear community concerns about the police at Hoffman Hall on the Portland State University campus this afternoon. The event was originally planned to hear public concerns about the death in police custody of James Chasse Jr, in 2006. But since then, on January 29, the police shot Aaron Campbell. So it’s a broader forum, now.
“The police officer who fired the shot that killed Aaron Campbell should have been suspended immediately with pay,” said Joe Walsh, opening citizen testimony. “Here’s the key on this—if you suspend them with pay, the union can’t file a grievance, the union can’t fight you in arbitration.”
- CITY’S CITIZEN REVIEW COMMITTEE AT HOFFMAN HALL THIS AFTERNOON
Read all about it after the jump.
50 Portlanders showed up for the meeting, applauding almost all of the points that were made by the following speakers.
“The one thing I really want the community to consider is that the process by which these complaints are heard is simply too slow,” said criminal defense attorney Chris O’Connor. “There is no prompt accountability for officers.”
“Right now if we went outside and there was an assault, that person would be arraigned tomorrow, an attorney would be appointed and within 120 days there would be a jury trial held,” he continued. “Compare that to the police review process. We’re still here talking about the murder of James Chasse—we’re coming up on the fourth anniversary and it’s ridiculous that we don’t have an answer at this point. Why is the detectives’ division sitting on files for many months, not our interviewing the right witnesses, treating this like any of their other cases?”
O’Connor also stressed that it’s a problem that police don’t live in Portland.
“They come from Battleground Washington, Sherwood, Estacada,” he said. “Why don’t they want to live in this city? Why are we paying them many millions of dollars out of state? When we wonder why this person doesn’t understand the community it’s because they’re not here. They’re not dropping their kid of at the school to go to work, they’re not dropping off their kid at the school. They treat it like an occupying army. People don’t trust the police because they don’t know any.”
“Officers who repeatedly use excessive force should be taken off the streets, dismissed, or even put on disability,” said David Cox. “That would make Portland safer for all of us.”
Dan Handelman with Portland Copwatch said he was concerned that the public were only given a week’s notice for this event—because the city attorney’s office delayed the press release.
“The city attorney has a conflict of interest between trying to protect the police bureau, and trying to protect the police,” said Handelman. “You need your own attorney.”
Patrick Nolen asked why our police officers aren’t being tested for drugs and steroids like they are in LA, New York, and Boston. “If I go to work anywhere, the first thing they ask me is can you do a UA for us,” he said. “Why are these officers not being held accountable the way we are? That’s really unfair.”
Nolen also drew attention to the rent-a-cops downtown. “Portland Patrol Incorporated, which is not police, there’s no accountability for them at all,” he said. “If I was to carry a gun and dress like a police officer in downtown, I’d have to have my lawyer protect me, because I’d be arrested for that.”
“After James Chasse we were told everybody had training in deescalating mental health issues,” said Oregon Action boss Jo Ann Bowman. “And yet once again someone in our community is dead because the police officers couldn’t communicate on the scene.”
“We are in crisis in this community when the African American newspaper has a headline that says if you’re in trouble, don’t call the police,” Bowman continued. “We’re in crisis mode right now, and everything right now depends on whether we have the political courage to change the police union contract so that our officers are evaluated annually, drug tested, and held accountable when they act inappropriately in our community.”
“How many people have been killed by the police? Does the committee know?” asked King J. “See, that’s a problem. Because nobody has ever been held accountable.”
“We need to start holding people accountable for their behavior, not letting double standards stay in place,” said Marcia Meyers, the mother of Lisa Coppock, a woman with mental health issues who was allegedly beaten by Officer Chris Humphreys at a Max stop in 2008. “Do a study of which people are accosted by the police here in Portland—the most vulnerable because of the color of their skin, or acutely sensitive.”
- MARCIA MEYERS
“There’s a pecking order, and I don’t like the idea that a CRC is being compromised by a good-old boys’ system,” she said. “You’re representing me. You’re representing my children. We’ll stand up with you, say you’re the people we elect to make our decisions, but we are the ones that are in charge.”
- REVEREND RENEE WARD
“I was actually disgusted by a roadshow by Commissioner Saltzman who stopped by my church this morning with his 7 top lieutenants to say we’re safe,” said the Reverend Renee Ward. “I love everybody, but I also know that you should know the truth and the truth should set you free. I ask how many people are we going to kill?”
“I’m trying to keep our young people from going off, because they’re ready to go off,” she said.”
“I hear the police say nobody understands how stressful it is to be a police officer, but I was in Iraq as an airborne infantry man who has served in two combat zones,” said Rob Chapman. “So cry me a river over that one.”
Chapman said he’d watched the video of Officer Humphreys shooting a 12-year-old girl with a less-lethal beanbag shotgun. “To shoot a child with a shotgun, it’s disgusting,” he said. “I was held more accountable in Iraq than these officers are being held here.”
“I was a corrections deputy for 6 years, and I’ve worked inside the jails,” said former sheriff’s deputy Sam Sachs. “One of the units I worked in at the time was called the Thunderdome, meaning it was so violent, that the inmates were one step from the hole. And I learned early on that de-escalation was the only way I was going to survive in there, and that using my minds.”
Sachs said there are officers who abuse their power, and that officers should be psychologically evaluated not just before they get hired, but afterward too.
“I can tell you first hand, the job changes you,” said Sachs. “When you’re subjected to that kind of violence, the job changes you. So why aren’t police officers having check-ins after two, five years down the road, to see if they’re still where they were when they got hired?”
“In the six years that I worked in that jail,” Sachs continued, “I never saw the physical violence that happened to James Chasse, and I’m left to wonder how did that happen?”
“We give utmost respect to men and women in uniform,” said Kevin Hershey, director of PSU veterans association, which organized the event. “That’s why, for me, it’s so difficult to see this trend happening in this city.”
- RUDY SOTO
“I know we can do better,” said Rudy Soto, former PSU student body president, who is running agasint Dan Saltzman for police commissioner. He said Portland needs more diversity on its police bureau, and that doing that would improve the bureau’s ability to “respond without aggression.” Lastly, he said, “elect leaders and decision makers who have the ability to create the change that you seek.”
- ROCHELLE SILVER
At the end of the meeting, the CRC members responded.
“One thing that I want to make clear to all of you is I agree that we need change, we need accountability from the top to the bottom,” said Rochelle Silver. “They may have training in how to deal with the mentally ill or deescalation but I don’t see that happening on the streets. My goal, and it may be a ridiculous one, is to be in a situation where no one has fear of the police.”
“We have to make the officers accountable, and we have to move faster,” said Llewellyn Robison.
“I honestly did not know that a lot of Portland Police officers live outside Portland and they’re not members of our community in the same way that we are,” said Jamie Troy. “I think it’s an interesting point and we need to be working on that.”
“I was struck by the level of agreement in the room with what our speakers said,” said Hank Miggins. “I’ve been doing this for 9 years and it’s time to move on, but I keep coming back because there’s work to be done.”
“When I hear about deaths like Kendra James, James Chasse, and Aaron Campbell, I can’t get my head around it,” said Bigham. “It seems to me that rather than taking time to assess a situation, they escalate it, and it really bothers me.”
Bigham said the CRC should “push our city council” to think about drug testing and residency.
Ayoob Ramjan said he came from Apartheid South Africa, and that in Portland, citizens have more power to take control of these issues. “My question is, we have seen these issues coming up over and over again, and why is that? I’m going to try to do something about that.”
Loren Erikson encouraged people in the room to apply to be a part of the committee. He complimented the articulacy of the speakers.
“First let me say wow. It’s good to know that there’s not just words, but passion and commitment behind those words,” said Jeff Bisonette. “There’s passion and commitment behind my words. Please stay involved, you are the engine behind the change. We’re willing to be a vehicle for that change, but we need you. Come to our meetings.”
“A question I keep asking is are there good examples of officers and community police relations that are positive?” he said. “I think we need to look more and raise those up of examples to other officers.”
“Right now I’m feeling that there’s not a feeling of trust, that it’s not a community police force,” he continued. “So please stay involved, and help keep this real.”
“There was some pushback from the city for us doing this,” said Bigham. “They didn’t particularly want us to do this, so I thank them for their courage in doing this.”
Honestly, I wouldn’t want to live in the city I worked in as a cop. Just think about the number of people you come across at work who would really love nothing more than to run into you, presumably unarmed, coming out of a grocery store, movie theater, etc. Not that it would be a huge issue, but it would be something that would give you enough pause that you’d have some enjoyment taken out of your off days.
I think that’s a key factor in a lot of their minds when it comes to whether or not they’d want to live in the city, and I don’t think it’s a fair criticism from the standpoint of finding fault.
Police are no longer part of the community. They used to know the people living in the neighborhood and the business people. When you know Bobby is the paperboy you are less likely to shoot him for suspiciously going from house to house in the wee hours of the morning. Now police seem to have an US vs. THEM mentality. All of us are suspect.
Lyle,
I just watched the entire series of Andy Griffith with my 10-year-old son. It is really comforting to think that not so long ago, an entire sit-com, hugely popular, portrayed a friendly, cooperative relationship between the police and the public. And it is really really depressing to think that we might never be able to get to that.
I think if there is an earthquake or ice storm or natural disaster I would prefer that my law enforcement and emergency responders weren’t worried about how to cross the Columbia river without bridges or get back to Woodburn on a frozen over highway to help their families. (or not be able to get TO work). So I think it is a valid point. Maybe not related to why they shoot people in the back, but valid in the overall discussion of reform.
I had a problem with a Securitas private rent a cop who was from Vancouver. He was carrying gun and was completely out of sync with us Portlander’s. If your not from here how can you understand Portland’s vibe? If you don’t understand or don’t like Portland and carry a gun that means your stalking us.
We seriously need to oust all of the private security guards with guns and the cops from suburban Washington. They are invaders with guns. They should stay on their own side of the Columbia and join a white pride organization or gun club(I know, they already did) but seriously, they have no business in Portland!
So pissed I missed this meeting, as I can throw rocks at Hoffman Hall from my living room, I live so close to it. Argh!
As a kid growing up, I remember the city I lived in paid officers more for living in the districts they policed. Anyone know if Portland offers something like that? Might be a good incentive to get more officers to live where they work and become more in tune with their communities and the people they’re “serving and protecting”.
@ Lyle – Most cops “carry” even while off duty. A cop is always a cop. They never “clock out”. That’s a mentality that would make a lousy cop, IMO…could you imagine a nurse or doctor not responding to someone in need just because they weren’t “at work”?
from research done by sociologists, it’s a known fact that most of these copsters that opt to live across the river in Washington are for the most part extreme rightwing fundaloonies that have no liking for Portland and it’s citizens. These type of authoritarian-totalitarian crazies live in their own enclaves where everyone is into same GROUPTHINK as they’re so indoctrinated (not same as “educated” which requires a high IQ and the ability to actually think and reason) into POLICETHINK. Portland will not solve it’s police abuse of power issues till it forces these people to actually live in Portland or resign and work where they live. It’s a simple and easy matter to require them to move or else…just takes balls to have the will to vote such on the City Council. Oh well, we know how that vote will go…
Jackattak – one of the important back-stories to this event was the recalcitrance of both the IPR and the CRC to hold the meeting at all. The press release for this event was held up until mid-week by the city attorney, and organizations, like mine, were either deleted from the send list or never added.
If the event had been made sufficiently public, ours and other organizations would have invited the community. They didn’t, we didn’t. So the CRC failed it’s primary mission – to represent and communicate to the community.
The CRC is a toothless volunteer committee, frightened of its community (major discussion on having police at the meeting to protect committee members from attack), and with tired, out-of-touch leadership. Don’t expect courage or justice from this group.
I know police. I’ve worked with police. I have family members that are military/police.
I do not trust police. I do not trust any human that claims authority over me. I do not trust any human being that has legal permission to kill me. I do not trust any human that is allowed to break the law in order to enforce the law.
Great story, Matt. Actually former Chief Charles Moose made a point of living in Northeast Portland, and at one point a disgruntled crowd of partiers who were shut down from an event ai Irving Park marched on his house. At the same time I definitely know officers who live in the city and in the neighborhood they patrol in PDX, so it’s an exaggeration to say none do.
I like the point about the PPB helping officers buy houses inside the city. The Portland Public Schools has a program like that, they help with, I thik, the downpayments and stuff.
Don’t you think that a major component of the reason people don’t trust the police here is because the police seem to be so fucking trigger-happy AND they shoot to kill?