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Police Oversight
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Judge: Portland’s New Police Accountability Board Must Be Operational In a Year

While the new community-led police oversight system is finally on track, some commissioners are furious at a federal judge’s decision to postpone board selection until a new council is in place.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Four years after Portland voters approved a measure for a new community-led police oversight board, the city is finally on track to implement it. A 4-1 vote earlier this month by the Portland City Council paved the way for the new Community Board for Police Accountability to be codified into the city’s charter, but the […]

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Lack of Oversight in Police Training Seminars Raises Alarms

Two law enforcement training conferences in Oregon will feature Dave Grossman, a self-proclaimed expert in “killology” who teaches preparation for combat.
Avatar photo Abe Asher

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is among the most high-profile police trainers in the United States. He’s also one of the most controversial. Grossman is currently scheduled to deliver presentations to law enforcement officers at an FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA) retraining conference in Redmond in September, then at the annual Oregon Peace Officers Association (OPOA) […]

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Proposed Ballot Measure to Repeal Police Oversight Board Can Now Start Gathering Signatures, Judge Says

Judge greenlights police union initiative to scrap and replace Portland’s independent oversight board—which was approved by voters—after striking down a previous PPA measure.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

A police union proposal that would effectively repeal and replace Portland’s voter-approved police oversight board now has legal approval to proceed with signature collecting for the November ballot. On Thursday, Circuit Court Judge Katharine von Ter Stegge ruled the Portland Police Association’s (PPA) initiative petition to change the authority, membership, and budget for the city’s […]

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Portland Will Pay Nearly $1.6 Million for Independent Monitor to Oversee City’s Compliance With DOJ Settlement

Mark P. Smith & Associates will take over monitoring of Portland Police Bureau’s adherence to federal directives. The team includes a former violence prevention leader for the city.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Ten years ago, the US Department of Justice intervened to help reshape and monitor the Portland Police Bureau’s use of force policies. Now, a private firm will be the arbiter of whether police are following the federal government’s guidelines.  The mayor’s office announced Monday that MPS & Associates was jointly chosen by the city and […]

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Within Three Years, Five Portland Officers Shot Eight People

Watchdogs, legal groups say repeated deadly force incidents are alarming. Portland Police Bureau says it’s a byproduct of high-risk job assignments.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

As the city invests in multiple gun violence initiatives in an effort to drive down shooting and homicide rates, data shows a handful of the city’s own police officers have perpetuated gun violence on multiple occasions. Portland Police Bureau (PPB) data shows four officers involved in recent fatal shootings have each shot at members of […]

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Portland Police Will Get Premium Pay for Joining New Crowd Control Team

Amid lingering criticisms and lawsuits stemming from the 2020 protests, the city approved a 6 percent pay bump for new public order team officers.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Portland police officers who join the city’s new riot squad will get a 6 percent pay bump. The council unanimously approved a letter of agreement with the Portland Police Association–the union representing rank-and-file officers–to offer an additional 6 percent of an officer’s base salary if they agree to work on a new public order team […]

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Proposed Ballot Measure Would Tank Portland’s New Police Accountability Board

A pro-cop attorney wants voters to throw out a police oversight measure approved in 2020, and return to the status quo.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Update: March 1: This story has been updated to note the ballot title challenge period and next steps. A new ballot initiative seeks to overhaul and water down a police accountability measure that was approved by a large majority of voters in 2020. The Portland city auditor’s office has reviewed a proposed ballot measure for […]

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A Decade After Federal Directives, Portland Police Will Start Using Body Cameras Full-Time

Axon lobbied city staff years before City Council approved a $10 million contract with the company
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

December 27: This story has been updated to include a modified contract amount for the purchase of body cameras. December 3: This story has been updated to clarify the delay in implementation. A long-delayed plan to outfit the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) with body cameras may soon come to fruition. The city initially approved spending […]

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City Council Watered Down Police Oversight Approved by Voters, Advisory Group Says

Members of Portland’s Police Accountability Commission lambast city’s proposed code revisions, which now call for police to help shape oversight board.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

A police oversight measure approved by Portland voters was supposed to help restore police accountability and public trust, but some say a move by Portland City Council only threatens to erode public confidence. In 2020, 82 percent of Portland voters approved Measure 26-217, which called for a new, independent, community-led oversight board to investigate, recommend […]

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City Council Approves Independent Monitor to Watch Over Cops

The monitor will determine if Portland Police remain compliant with the DOJ’s demands regarding the bureau’s excessive use of force.
Avatar photo Abe Asher

The Portland City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday afternoon to amend the city’s 2014 settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to select an independent monitor to oversee the city’s compliance with the settlement.  The amendments mark a milestone in the enforcement of the settlement: not only will the DOJ not be directly […]

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DOJ Wants Independent Monitor to Watch Over Portland Police

The independent monitor would oversee practices and training for Portland Police following years of bureau missteps.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

The US Department of Justice appears ready to ease up on its oversight of Portland police activity.  The Portland City Council is slated to consider and vote on amendments this Wednesday to a 2014 settlement agreement between the city and the Department of Justice (DOJ) over Portland Police Bureau (PPB)’s alleged pattern of using excessive […]

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Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell Will Step Down, as Mayor Announces Interim Chief

Lovell, who was appointed chief in 2020, said he never intended to serve as chief through retirement. He will move into a community engagement role at Portland Police Bureau.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell will step down from his position in three weeks, with an interim police chief stepping into the role until June 2025. Bob Day, who retired from Portland Police Bureau in 2019 after serving as deputy chief of police, will step into the role of chief until June 2025. The announcement […]

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