Portland Fire & Rescue’s (PFR) response times to fires and medical emergencies are lagging behind national standards, placing Portlanders’ lives at risk daily, according to an analysis of the department presented to City Council Tuesday morning. Without a permanent increase in staff, the construction of new fire stations, and organizational restructuring, analysts say the city […]
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City Raises Concerns about ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection Technology
The city office focused on surveillance technology and public data ethics, Smart City PDX, isn’t certain that a technology used to monitor gunshots is the right tool to address Portland’s gun violence problem. In a report prepared for City Council, staff with Smart City PDX explain that the technology—called ShotSpotter—could open the city up to […]
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Judge Hears Arguments Against Legality of Proposed City Charter Amendments
A Multnomah County judge heard arguments Thursday on why a proposed ballot measure to amend Portland’s city charter may be unconstitutional. “Political expediency does not override voting rights,” said attorney Steve Elzinga, representing the Portland Business Alliance (PBA), one of the groups challenging the ballot measure. The decision addresses a ballot measure proposed by Portland’s […]
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Portland Has Paid Little For Its Officers’ Treatment of Protesters in 2020 in Comparison to Other Cities. Why Is That?
The fallout of police use of force against members of the public during 2020 racial justice protests has cost more than just negative headlines for the city of Portland. As of early August, the city has paid out just over $325,000 in legal compensation to Portlanders who sued the city after they were injured by […]
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Mayor Wheeler Announces State of Emergency to Streamline Response to Gun Violence
The program directs additional funding to gun violence intervention programs that are already operating within the city.
Mayor Ted Wheeler has announced a state of emergency to address Portland’s surge in gun violence during summer months. The announcement allows Wheeler to gather all city departments related to deterring gun violence under his office in hopes of orchestrating a coordinated response. “Emergency declarations can get results the status quo cannot,” said Wheeler at […]
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Business Alliance and Others Challenge Ballot Measure That Aims to Redistribute Power in Portland
While once a unifying topic, support for changing Portland’s governance structure has splintered
Despite once being a unifying topic, Portland’s latest effort to change its form of city government is already facing legal challenges from Portland’s most influential business group and a former mayoral candidate.
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Police Oversight Group Will Ask Council to Adopt Controversial Gunshot-Detecting Technology
With the city’s gun violence rate still hitting historic highs, Portlanders are looking for new ways to crack down on shooters. The latest suggestion comes from a new volunteer-led police oversight group, which meets weekly to analyze the previous week’s shootings with officers from the police bureau’s gun violence prevention unit, the Focused Intervention Team […]
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Audit Finds Accountability and Diversity Lacking in Portland Fire Bureau
Firefighter recruits training at a Portland fire station. Portland Fire Bureau Portland’s Fire Bureau has an “incoherent” accountability system, according to a report published by the city auditor’s office Wednesday. From skipping workplace anti-discrimination trainings to managers doling out inconsistent discipline to employees, the audit found unreliable oversight mechanisms in place for one of the […]
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City Attorneys Ask to Dismiss Lawsuit Because Protester Didn’t Know Which Officer Injured Him
A PPB officer during one of Portland’s 2020 racial justice protests. MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND Portland city attorneys are asking a federal judge to throw out a use-of-force lawsuit against the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) because the plaintiff can’t identify which PPB officer shot him with a munition from behind during a 2020 protest. Portlander Dexter Pearce […]
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Charter Commission Sends Proposal to Overhaul City Government to November Ballot
Luís Henrique Boucault / Getty Images Portland voters will have the opportunity to seriously overhaul the city’s government structure this November. A majority vote by the city’s Charter Review Commission Tuesday evening advanced a package of three amendments to Portland’s current charter—a document that serves as the city’s constitution—to the November 8, 2022 ballot. The […]
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Hall Monitor: The Changing Symbolism of Portland’s Elk Statue
The Thompson Elk, photographed in June 2020. Alex Zielinski When Portlanders flooded downtown streets in the early summer of 2020 to protest the murder of George Floyd and other examples of police violence against Black Americans, they were joined by a triumphant elk. Specifically, the Thompson Elk, a 120-year-old slender bronze elk statue perched atop […]
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City Council to Pledge Allegiance to Elk Fountain Restoration
The Thompson Elk, in June 2020. Alex Zielinski Portland City Council will vote on a resolution next week that will solidify the city’s commitment to restoring both the fountain base of the Thompson Elk statue and the statue itself—both which were removed from their downtown Portland home after they were partially damaged during 2020’s racial […]