Appropriate oversight matters. Without it, police become just another gang.

Note to PPA: Tact And Location "Matter" Too

"Having enough police matters," could mean there's enough problems with the police. And what's with this Banksy-like photo of a swing and a ghost child? Did she leave? Was she busted for loitering? Were these different times of the day? Was she perhaps shot in the back by a police officer? This billboard is nonsensical. It's worse than the Trimet billboard ads that say, "hey, I'm an idiot, I had no idea I was qualified to drive a bus."

I suspect this billboard will be defaced in 3...2....1.

How fucking stupid are these people? If the police want better PR, maybe start with avoiding the actions that lead to bad PR?

Isn't this coming from the police force that is under federal supervision for excessive force and other civil rights violations?

C'mon, this is fucking hilarious.

So don't billboards like that cost like $7000/month? And they're putting them up all over town? What does that cost? I think we've likely got an annual salary being spent on political signage for a department that's taken the least financial hits of any in the City. Talk about your stereotypical greedy pigs!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
#HavingHonestPoliceMatters
fbid=973744869351469&set=gm.10153300336709075&type=3&theater

Oh wow. This is a story on which pulling a little thread could yield some serious intrigue!

A few questions that might make for some very fruitful reporting here, and a bit of context:

1. On what basis is this strategic comms professional being contracted to the police union? I ask because Stacey Dycus used to be the treasurer for former State Treasurer Ben Westlund:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceydycus

...so...she's not a small hitter. And if the union has hired her, that means somewhere she will have prepared a comms strategy document for them on which she is now working. My only interest, at this point, as a reporter, would be to get a glimpse of that powerpoint document. And also, to understand how she is being paid. I do hope she's not vulnerable to any of the old Rupert Murdoch phone tapping techniques ;)

I'd also be keen to ask her who her other clients are, and then, I'd be keen to ask those clients whether they are comfortable with her representing the interests of the police union in this way, while also billing them for their work. Does she work on retainer, or on a project basis. If it's a retainer, are her other clients comfortable that her police union work isn't proving a distraction?

2. Is she denying that the placement of the billboard is coincidental? I hope she is. I mean, I really hope she issued an explicit denial there. Because one call to the billboard company, to Clear Channel, whomever hosts it, should yield a similar denial or confirmation. And then all we'd need is a whistleblower from within the company to say "you know what? they asked for it to be put there."

3. Even if the billboard company just confirms that it's possible to rent specific sites, that's pretty incendiary. If they did do this, then the use of the word "matters" and the placement could probably constitute harassment of the African American community. The city has fairly specific rules about that sort of thing. I'd say this approach contravenes several of them. Will there be an enquiry? Amanda Fritz, I think, runs the office of inclusion or whatever it's called these days.

5. And, again, is Ms. Dycus denying that the use of the word "Matters" is a reference to the Black Lives Matter campaign? If she is, that seems far-fetched, indeed, particularly in light of the fact that the Portland Police Association has, in the past, had a record of particularly offensive rhetoric in its campaigns. Officers wore tshirts saying "I am Chris Humphreys" to support an officer who had killed a mentally ill man. That prompted people to make tshirts commemorating the man, James Chasse, reading "I am James Chasse".

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.s…

It seems to me like Ms. Dycus is just running aggressive interference on a reporter at the local alt weekly. Personally, I find her approach offensive and it rattles the rottweiler in me.

Having HONEST Police Matters!
Portland Police suck with loud sucking noises, once again embarrassing Portland on a national and possibly international level, as cold-hearted as this is.
Get rid of Darryl Turner, union spokes, before he flops again!
Did Police Chief O'Dea approve?
Can Police Commish Hales not control his beasts?
How tasteless to have a child on a swing in this picture after the murder of Tamir Rice at the hands of cops. I suppose this is a heavy-handed attempt to cash in politically on the recent school shootings. Shame! Living up to the stereotype of GREEDY PIGS looking to enhance their budget.
Meanwhile, 75% of public school children know the harsh truth: Having Enough TO EAT matters!
Portland Police already have too much of the City's budget and crime is down. They ALWAYS want MORE. Meanwhile, taxpayers bleed to pay their egregious brutality settlements. Google Gallagher Smith. Just another night in Taser City. Google up our cops' recent failure to pass a federal investigation and their resistance to Judge Simon's sentencing. If they couldn't do the time, they should not have done the crime. Portland Police are hypocrites of the worst ilk. What we really need is a round of lay-offs, the only way to get rid of bad pigs in PDX.

Jesus christ, Matthew. Simmer down. All reports have been that there are several of these in the process of going up and that the sites are being chosen by ClearChannel based on the availability of billboards. I totally agree with police accountability.....and accountability for citizens as well. The union can use whatever catchy slogan they want, just as citizens can. The ".... matters" slogan has been used several different ways by different groups over the past year or so.

On a side note, where has your outrage been over the many "death to police" type chants that have occurred as a part of demonstrations across the country? Were you calling this "harassment of the police community?" I thought not.

Look at the numbers. Our city has a much lower number of police per capita than other metropolitan areas, and lower than the safely recommended level of police/citizen ratio. We need more and better trained police. Coming off of a week in which the city saw 6 homicides also makes this apparent.

More police = Less murders?

Might wanna look at Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, and Newark, NJ there JTR.

Trooper - there are many, many other factors that go into murder rates in the areas you list than just number of police officers. Those cities have vastly different socioeconomic and other important demographic makeups than Portland. Apples and Oranges with respect to Portland. With respect to the recent murders and all of the "gang related" activity we have seen this year, I happen to believe that more, and more importantly, better trained (in areas such as real community policing) officers could make a difference here.

But of course, that doesn't follow with the black lives matter agenda. On their list of priorities, it probably ranks right down there next to trying to speak up about or put a stop to black on black crime....which is by far a much greater crisis than what they are currently focusing their energy on.

@JTR

"Trooper - there are many, many other factors that go into murder rates in the areas you list than just number of police officers."

Well, you didn't mention any of those other factors, so that's what made your first comment sound so dopey. Maybe if you stop talking outta your ass so much, people on this site wouldn't feel the need to tear your stupid comments to shreds all the time.

For additional evidence, please refer to the responses to your mini-screed about Airbnb.

I'll give links to reliable sources for every factual contention I make here at the end.

The message selection was poor and unnecessarily phrased in a way easily perceived as combative or otherwise in opposition to Black Lives Matter, Hands Up Don't Shoot, etc. It got the Police Union some attention, but in a way that undermines efforts to improve relations between PPD and the community, especially the black community. Some say any publicity is good publicity. That's not true for public entities (or public employees' unions.) The slogan was a bad call.

But the campaign itself is directed at raising awareness about staffing and funding issues that seem legitimate. PPA and PPD have been talking about the department being understaffed and overworked for months, and consultants were brought in to evaluate the situation. Among the country's 50 largest police departments, PPD has fewer officers per capita than 45 other major cities. As of 2013, the average among cities of 250,000 or more folks is around 23 sworn officers per 10,000 residents. Portland has 16 officers per 10,000 residents. By comparison, Seattle, Phoenix, and Austin all have 20 officers per 10,000 residents.

We've also been experiencing an alarming frequency of gun violence, homicides, and violent assaults here. As of Sept. 3rd, PPD had 121 gang-related violence calls in 2015. Previously, 2014 held the record, at 89 calls for the entire year. Meanwhile, the Portland Police force has grown smaller, as new hires haven't been allowed to keep pace with retirements.

There seem to have been legitimate problems with some aspects of PPD (I haven't read up closely on it, but I respect Eric Holder and expect that the DOJ didn't just take PPD to task for the fun of it.) But a need for reform does not imply that we can keep slashing its budget with impunity. [Funny how similar that line of thinking is to conservatives who think that the existence of some fraud within social service programs indicates that the programs should be slashed or abolished.]

A modern society still needs a properly equipped, trained, and staffed police force to protect public safety. The folks who think we can just get rid of the police and everything will be okey dokey are either uninformed, delusional and/or anarchists. The folks who think the answer to every problem our community has is to simply cut funding for law enforcement and direct it instead to homelessness, mental health, affordable housing, community centers, youth programs, etc. really aren't doing us any favors.


Force understaffed - June 2015: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/06/portland_police_union_presiden_12.html
Sept 2015: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/09/shooting_in_ne_portland_neighb.html

Fewer police per capita than other major cities:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/05/portland_has_fewer_police_offi.html
http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/lpd13ppp.pdf

Increased incidents of shootings/homicides/violent assaults -
Sept 2015: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/09/shooting_in_ne_portland_neighb.html
October 3, 2015: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/10/charlie_hales_on_weekend_murde.html#incart_story_package
See also: http://search.oregonlive.com/portland+shootings/3//?date_range=all

FWIW, the board is owned & managed by Clear Channel, but the property is owned by First Baptist Church. They don't get editorial control, but they can ask CC not to put up certain topics. Perhaps call Pastor David Wheeler at FBC and let him know your concern?

Troll of the day goes to trooper. You know exactly what I am talking about, re: your little quip above.

Uninformed hypocritical crybaby stooge of the century goes to JTR.

You know what I'm talking about, re: every whiny little retort you ever send in my direction. Now pull that thumb outta your ass and stick it back in your mouth where it belongs you uninformed infantile pansy.