From Brian Schmautz at the police bureau: Morning, I am starting to get calls about Chief Sizer’s request for an independent investigation. I will confirm that both Chief Sizer and Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schrunk have asked the Attorney General to conduct an investigation in connection with the actions of Portland Mayor Sam Adams. […]
Cops
Posted inNews
Saltzman Launches “Operation Cool Down”—Sizer Says Avoidance of Racial Profiling A Priority
UPDATE, 1:38 pm: It is not yet confirmed whether Saltzman drew inspiration for the program’s name from 1984’s Operation “Cool It Now,” by New Edition, but let’s hope so. If not, can we take this opportunity to recommend repeated viewing of the video for all the gang-affiliated youth, Guantanamo-style, in the holding cells at Multnomah […]
Posted inCops
Facing Tough Economic Climate, Downtown Cops, Businesses Want Stricter Commitment Laws
Downtown cops and business advocates began a push for tighter laws on involuntary commitment for people suffering with mental illness at a meeting at city hall this morning. I wrote in depth about the civil commitment process, here in Portland, last February, but the bottom line is, that there are laws in Oregon that allow […]
Posted inArtsy
“The Retarded Policeman”
I don’t think this is funny. Well, okay, I do. But, you know. I don’t. More on Taser use by Portland Police, most of whom can take a joke, as far as I’m aware, here.
Posted inFood and Drink
Ibiza: Raided! (now Updated!)
Ibiza, an Old Town restaurant and lounge with a tapas influenced menu, was raided this morning by Portland police as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged fraudulent bank transactions. According to the Portland Police bureau, officers arrested one 43 yr old Ramin Zamani in connection with the case on two counts of Theft in […]
Posted inNews
Secret List Trial Continues: “In Our System, Secret Police Lists Have No Place And That’s What This is About.”
It’s gratifying to see that the Oregonian finally ran a front-page story on the city’s Secret List program this morning: For the first time since Portland police created a secret list five years ago identifying the 35 most-frequently arrested petty criminals in the city’s core, the American Civil Liberties Union and a trio of defense […]
Posted inNews
ACLU Partner Attorney Fighting Secret List
I’ve been at Multnomah Circuit Court all day watching hot-poop attorney Elden Rosenthal fight the city of Portland’s controversial secret list program on constitutional grounds, as a partner attorney to the ACLU of Oregon. The list targets the top 35 arrestees in Portland on a quarterly basis, adding their names to a master list of […]
Posted inMedia
Cops’ Spokesman Brian Schmautz Retiring
From the horse’s mouth: Morning everybody, last Wednesday I notified the Police Bureau that I would be retiring on January 30th. We are posting my job today and Chief Sizer is beginning the process of selecting my replacement. I believe Chief Sizer hopes to select the person and have them in the office during the […]
Posted inNews
The Cost Of Public Disclosure: $3773.40
Just before Xmas we ran a newslede about attorneys’ efforts to gain access to the contents of 20 cardboard boxes containing information about the city’s secret list program: Arguments are yet to go before a judge, but attorney Spencer Hahn lodged a public records request with the Portland Police Bureau to get a look at […]
Posted inNews
Cops Taser Naked Woman
In Panama City. Which, once again, calls for judicious use of Mark Searcy’s Tasergate illo: Send your Taser stories to: news@portlandmercury.com.
Posted inMedia
Saltzman Wants Longer Secret List, Doesn’t Care About Racial Profiling
And he’s writing editorials for the Portland Tribune. The new police commissioner is a regular Che Guevara. Specifically, I will build on the success of the service coordination team pilot program at work now in downtown’s Old Town neighborhood. This program has focused on arresting chronic drug and drug-related property crime offenders, then holding them […]
Posted inNews
Taser Lawsuits Pile On
There have been some interesting developments on the Taser front since I wrote my feature on the weapons last month. On November 26, Judge Paul Papak issued an opinion on the Fouad Kaady case—Kaady was a 27-year-old Gresham man who died at the hands of Police in Gresham Sandy shortly before this reporter got to […]