There were "significant gaps in information gathering" after the death of James Chasse Jr. at the hands of Portland police in 2006, according to an independent audit released Friday, July 23. The city auditor took the unprecedented step of commissioning an outside evaluation of the incident, given the case's notoriety: "The immediacy of the public's interest in this case was clear and compelling," says Auditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade. Now that civil litigations have been settled (with the city paying $1.6 million to Chasse's family), the report strives to avoid what it calls "Monday-morning quarterbacking" and instead make recommendations for the future. Those include conducting interviews on the scene after an in-custody death and not hiring police officers from other agencies who are being investigated for improper conduct. STEFAN KAMPH

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The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted on Thursday, July 22, to adopt the East Portland Action Plan. East Portland has a lot of problems to fix, including a lack of sidewalks and limited social services. Proposing solutions is a lot easier than finding a way to pay for them, so last year the city drafted the plan—a wish list of projects to revitalize the area east of 82nd Avenue. The county could play a role in projects involving crime prevention, financial assistance for families, and boosting civic engagement. "We have such a difficult budget this [year]," says County Commissioner Judy Shiprack, whose district covers much of East Portland. "But the plan will guide how we divert resources if and when we are able." SK