Although there has been much discussion concerning police reform since Chief Mark Kroeker’s time running the Portland Police Bureau, nothing has been mentioned regarding the role of the police chaplain in this equation. I bring this up because of recent displays of “road rage” by two prominent police officers.

The duty of the chaplain is to deal with the emotional and psychological stress inherent with police work- stresses that affect not only the officers’ personal and family lives, but also the way the react with the public they serve.

Oregonian columnist Andy Parker reported Feb. 22 that police officers are four times more likely to be involved in domestic violence than the general public. He quoted former Police Chief Penny Harrington as saying, “From my experience it’s still hidden away.”

Was the Police Commissioner aware of the importance of the police chaplain and whether he performed his job effectively? I never heard his name mentioned. Former Chaplain Ed Stelle, I understand, is now serving with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department.

The Albina Ministerial Alliance recently published its five-point program for police reform. One of its goals is a change in state law to limit the authority of police officers to use deadly force.

In this regard, Rev. Renee Ward of the Vancouver Avenue Baptist Church, has formed the “Committee of Everyday People” to draft “Campbell’s Law” to be submitted to the 2011 Oregon Legislature by Sen. Chip Shields, who represents northeast Portland.

Former Portland Police Association Scott Westerman conceded in the Feb. 4 Oregonian that “Basically, we shot an unarmed black guy running away from us.”
Pastor Ward personally conferred with Gov. Ted Kulongoski to obtain his support as a positive final act of his eight-year career as governor. She expects to gather 1,000 supporters at the opening legislative session in January to lobby for the measure.

Committee members also supported a new chief of police, a new police commissioner, and a new district attorney who will serve the public, rather than the police bureaucracy.
As the Copwatch editor wrote this month, “(District Attorney) Schrunk’s team clearly leads the juries around by the nose (and as the saying goes, could indict a ham sandwich if he wanted to).”

Another issue to be resolved is to require all police officers to be residents of Portland. The Portland Office of Human Resources reported to me on April 29 that of the 707 officers currently on the police force, 535 of them are not residents of the city.

The City Council should force police officers to be residents of this city or the public should elect council members who will.

Charles E. Long
Northeast Portland

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

The U.S. Department of Justice announced yesterday that it will be opening an investigation of into the death of Aaron Campbell, a distraught man who was shot in the back by a Portland police officer after a long standoff with police.

The aftermath of the shooting brought outrage by citizens of Portland, as well as a visit by the civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson. The grand jury, which didn’t indict the officer who fired the fatal shot, blasted the how incident was handled by the police.

Mayor Sam Adams and Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman responded by asking the city’s congressional representatives for a federal investigation into the incident to see if Campbell’s civil rights had been violated.

Yesterday, Saltzman’s office received a letter sent to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden that confirmed that an investigation has been opened.

“You can be assured that if the evidence shows that there is a prosecutable violation of any federal criminal civil rights statutes, appropriate action will be taken,” the letter read.

Web editor’s note: This article contains several factual errors. Jesse Cornett worked for Portland State University for three, not 10 years. He also ran for State Senate once, not twice. Lastly, Cornett did not help “institute” the Rooney Rule at PSU. See below for clarification.

The May 18 Primary vote-by-mail election will have the names of eight people challenging Dan Saltzman, a three-term incumbent city commissioner. But one of those candidates stands out.

Jesse Cornett is the only candidate who was able to score $150,000 in public money for his campaign by coaxing over 1,000 Portlanders into ponying up a $5 contribution. This infusion of cash has put Cornett in a position to potentially topple Saltzman, who has come under fire for his handling of the Police Bureau.

Cornett has served as a deputy reserve sheriff. He has worked for the iconic Republican, former U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield of Oregon, and one of the state’s current Democratic candidates for governor and former Secretary of State Bill Bradbury. He has worked a decade as Portland State University’s director of government relations, and made two unsuccessful bids for the state Senate from southeast Portland.

“One thing that really honed my attention on city issues has been the way the Police Bureau has operated in recent years,” said Cornett, in an interview with the Portland Observer. For Cornett, the issue is personal. His close friend Raymond Gwerder was shot in the back by a police sniper while on the phone with a hostage negotiator in 2005.

He said that the Police Bureau made some positive advancements under former Mayor Tom Potter and current Police Chief Rosie Sizer, who’ve re-instated community policing practices that withered under Mark Kroeker, who ran the bureau in the early aughts after being recruited from the Los Angeles Police Department.

However, Cornett said that more needs to be done.

He wants to have annual performance evaluations of individual police officers, a standardization of procedures when there is a police shooting, a diversification of the ranks of the police using people from Portland, and routine mental health assessments of officers — the need for which was demonstrated by two recent road rage incidents by Portland police officers, Cornett argues.

“I think that’s a disparity that we absolutely have to address,” he said of the lack of diversity on the force. “Once we get the right folks in that represent the community we have to train them better.”

Cornett praised a recently passed ordinance that mandated more independent review of the Police Bureau, but faulted Saltzman for not drafting it in the first place.

“Dan Saltzman wouldn’t touch this issue and didn’t lead on this issue, and let the auditor and another commissioner [Randy Leonard] dictate the policy,” he said.

When asked about the issue of racial profiling, Cornett said that the city first must do a better job of analyzing the data the bureau records from traffic stops made by police.

“It’s really easy to look at that data and think that we have racism in the ranks,” he said. “That could be the case, but until the bureau looks at the data, it’s hard to draw conclusions.”

When asked about a report released by the Auditor’s Office last year that showed that police use of force was down, he had this to say:

“You can give me charts and graphs all day, but I want to know how that would have saved Aarons Campbell’s life, and it didn’t,” he said referring to a recent police shooting. “They are spinning a story that helps the bureau.”

Cornett was also asked about his involvement with minorities and disadvantaged communities, he pointed out that he helped institute the “Rooney Rule” at PSU, which requires at least one minority be interviewed for coaching positions.[Web editor's note: This is a clumsy and inaccurate paraphrase of Cornett's remarks. for more on this topic, see thisarticle.]

He also pointed out that he lives in the working class Lents Neighborhood, and argues east Portland has been sorely neglected by the city.

Cornett also said that he would be more cautious about extending urban renewal areas, unless there is a firm commitment to meeting affordable housing needs.

“We can’t just use urban renewal to make nice neighborhoods nicer,” he said.

He also faulted a recently approved deal with Merritt Paulson, the son of George Bush’s Treasury Secretary, to bring major league soccer to Portland, calling it “welfare for billionaires.”

Cornett also said that a new I-5 bridge is necessary, but needs major improvements first.

He also plans to get the economy going by temporarily cutting business license fees and assigning a city commissioner to a position charged with making sure business needs are met.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

On Thursday afternoon, Police Chief Rosie Sizer and City Commissioners Dan Saltzman and Amanda Fritz outlined the plans the city has in the works to better equip officer for encounters with the mentally ill and people in crisis.

In response to several high-profile incidents that resulted in police officers killing mentally-unstable individuals, Sizer, Fritz, and Saltzman have held a series of meetings with mental health advocates and various individuals from city bureaus to craft a plan to enhance training for officers to better handle situations.

The plan calls for further efforts to increase officers’ understanding of people in crisis, strengthen and clarify the role of a council that advises the police bureau on such efforts, improve communication with mental health professionals and officers, assistance from the City of Portland to help the county government build a center aimed at helping people on the cusp of a breakdown, and change protocols on how emergency calls are responded to.

Ever since the 2006 death of James Chasse, a schizophrenic man who died in police custody after being beaten by officers, the Portland Police Bureau has taken steps to help officers better handle situations with people in crisis.

The bureau requires officers to undergo Crisis Intervention Training, which aims to help them better understand the mentally ill. Officers also have the direct line to Project Respond, a team of mobile mental health workers to assist them with such situations.

But despite these efforts, old wounds were opened back up when Aaron Campbell, a distraught and suicidal man, was slain by a police officer after a tense standoff in late January. Tensions between the community and the police were further exacerbated when a police officer shot and killed Jack Dale Collins, a transient man.

At the conference, Sizer proudly announced that Portland would be one of five cities for a national pilot project launched by the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law that intends to develop best practices for when police interactions with the mentally fragile.

Sizer also outlined another pilot program that would pair police officers with mental health workers, a strategy that has been tried in other cities. However, no one was quite sure how the project would play out in real-life situations.

“That’s what we’re figuring out in a couple month period,” said Sizer.

Fritz- who heads the city’s office of Emergency Communications, which handles 911 calls- said that it’s currently standard practice to dispatch an officer to a situation involving a mentally ill person. She said that she would be looking into better integrating mental health services into the system.

A former psychiatric nurse, Fritz said that hospitals are often were mentally vulnerable people end up due to lack of services, and are often strained as a result.

“There isn’t a single problem we’re facing; there isn’t a single solution we’re facing,” she said.

Don Moore, of the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said that these reforms were positive steps. He also stated that because of the fraying of mental health services people don’t get the help they need, and police become the first responders, which everyone agreed was a less-than-ideal situation.

“Clearly what we’re doing now doesn’t work for anybody,” he said.

Saltzman also mentioned that the Police Bureau was sponsoring Mental Health Day next month. He also hoped to see the police union present at the state capital asking for more money to fund mental health services.

In the back of the report is a list of people the city consulted, which includes many members of NAMI, but no one from the Mental Health Association of Portland, which has been highly critical of the Police Bureau and Saltzman’s handling of it.

A statement on their website states:

The newly proposed recommendations, as outlined, make no substantial changes by the police bureau, but instead ask for additional services from an underfunded mental health system, and for persons with a diagnosis of mental illness to show trust for officers and invite them to socialize.

Saltzman, Fritz and Sizer developed the proposed recommendations in a vacuum, behind closed doors, with selected friendly conversations, often with agencies and individuals who sought and gained financial favors. The closed-door decision-making shows the meek political softness of those who are making the proposal.

Members of the Citizen Review Committee heard complaints from citizens about longstanding issues with the Police Bureau Sunday Afternoon. Photo by Jake Thomas.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Portlanders concerned about police accountability gave up their Sunday afternoon to gather at a forum at Portland State University organized by the Citizen Review Committee, a board that reviews complaints regarding police officers.

The event was initially intended to address the 2006 death of James Chasse, a mentally-ill man who was beaten to death by the police, but the forum took on a broader range of issues due to recent events surrounding the police force.

In January, the police killed Aaron Campbell, a distraught and unarmed man. His death has deepened resentment and mistrust of the police among broad swaths of the community.

The hearing was also held just as the city is gearing up for tense negotiation with the police union, which could address a host of issues, including officer accountability. Commissioner Randy Leonard and Auditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade have introduced an ordinance to be considered by City Council this week that will strengthen independent oversight of the police.

The chair of the nine-person committee, Michael Bigham, opened the meeting by acknowledging that a considerable amount of grief, fear, confusion, and anger has welled up in the community following the death of Campbell.

“Right now is a very difficult time in our community,” he said.

Bingham noted that the CRC has limited powers, but said that the committee would listen carefully to peoples’ thoughts and do the absolute most it could with what it had.

“Remember we are here to listen to you,” he said.

Joe Walsh began the citizen comment period by faulting the bureau for so quickly returning the officer who shot Campbell, Ronald Frashour, to work while the outrage of the incident remained at a fever pitch. He said that the bureau should have suspended him with pay.

“That would have been a wonderful message to send to the citizens of this city,” he said.

He also pointed out that the dispatch tapes of the Campbell incident, which were released to the public, reveal that Campbell was shot with a beanbag gun, had a dog released on him, and was ultimately shot by the police.

“Now when people listen to that and they read that in the newspaper they do not believe they own the police department. They are in fear of the police department. That is a disaster,” he said.

Chris O’Connor, a public defender who often handles cases with the police, pointed out that the police can quickly conduct an investigation when a crime has been committed, defendants can get a trial in a short period of time, but when an officer is charged with misconduct the process is much more drug out.

“There is no prompt accountability for any police bureau officer,” he said.

O’Connor also brought up the point that many police officers don’t live in Portland, weakening their connection to the community they serve.

“It’s not just a question if people feel that they’re members of the community; they’re not,” said O’Connor.

He said that because so many don’t live in Portland, they become more like an “occupying army.”

David Cox, a resident of northeast Portland, said that his interactions with police have been largely positive.

“However, obviously, I am a white middle-class, middle-aged person. I was treated with respect,” he said.

Dan Handelman, of Portland Copwatch, pointed out that the Independent Police Review division, of which the committee was a part, is served by the city attorney, which also works for the Police Bureau. He said that this constitutes a conflict of interest.

“You need your own attorney,” Handelman told the committee.

Speaking on a number of subjects, Handelman suggested that the Police Bureau become the responsibility of all of City Council, not just one commissioner as it is currently. He also said that medical examiners need to get information from sources other than the police bureau.

Travis Giobbi, of the Freedom Socialist Party, said that in north and northeast Portland people are not only being displaced because of gentrification, but the black residents are being targeted by the police.

“A citizen review board must be more than an advisory board,” he added, calling for it to have elected positions.

Patrick Nolen, a local activist, brought up the issue of why police aren’t tested for drugs and steroids, a practice that is prevalent in many other jobs as well as police departments across the country.

“Why are these officers not being held accountable for the same thing I am?” he asked.

Jo Ann Bowman speaking before the CRC. Photo by Jake Thomas

Jo Ann Bowman, the executive director of Oregon Action, brought up how two Hillsboro police officers had recently resolved an incident where someone threw a Molotov cocktail, but resolved it by subduing the subject.

“I ask you, picture that same situation happening with Portland police officers; the difference would have been deadly,” she said.

She also faulted the Police Bureau for not doing enough to keep citizens safe, and for not holding officers accountable.

“They don’t even want to break a nail in their service to the community,” she said. “And I think it’s appalling that we hear this over, and over, and over again.

Bowman also called for police officers to be drug tested.

Rob Chapman, a resident who said he served in the military in Iraq, argued that Portland police officers are not subject to the same accountability he was, and was tired of them never complaining about being scrutinized.

“So cry me a river with that one,” he said.

After the public had commented, members of the committee, who seemed amenable to the suggestions made, responded.

“One thing that I want to make clear to all of you is, I agree we need change, we need accountability from top to the bottom,” said Rochelle Silver, a member of the committee.

“I want u all to be living in a wonderful city, where can respect the police and they respect us,” she added.

“It’s times like this I’m proud to live in Portland,” said Llewellyn Robison, another member of the committee.

“We have to make the officers accountable, and we have to move faster,” she added.

Hank Miggins, vice-chair of the committee, noted that the comments he heard were pretty uniform in the concerns they expressed about the Police Bureau.

Bigham thanked the crowd for their concrete suggestions, which he said would be seriously considered.

“It’s just a start, there’s a lot more we need to do,” he said of the meeting.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

It looks like Portland City Council is poised to pass an ordinance crafted by Commissioner Randy Leonard and Auditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade that will strengthen independent review of the Police Bureau.

Next week, City Council will consider an ordinance that will strengthen the Independent Police Review Division, giving it power to compel officers to participate in investigations and give it a greater role in meting out discipline of officers.

The ordinance is intended to do the following, according to a press release issued earlier today by Leonard and Griffin-Valade:

· Strengthen IPR’s ability to do independent investigations

o Give IPR subpoena power to compel witness testimony and the production of evidence

o Establish the authority for IPR to initiate an independent investigation, whether or not alleged misconduct involves a complaint from a community member

· Strengthen IPR’s authority in cases investigated by the Portland Police Bureau

o Require IPR approval before an investigation is closed or sent to Police Bureau command staff for disciplinary findings

o Allow IPR to challenge the post investigatory findings or discipline recommended by Police Bureau managers

· Replace the current Performance Review and Use of Force Boards with a more transparent “Police Review Board”

o Establish IPR as a voting member of the Board, allowing them to make recommendations to the Chief of Police regarding findings and discipline

o Require the Board to publicly report the basis for their recommendations

o Establish the Auditor’s authority to recommend to City Council community members to serve 3 year terms on the Board

Leonard has had an uneasy relationship with the Police Bureau, and has been quick to point out that the city pays out hefty sums of money to settle lawsuits brought against it from the actions of police officers, but the bureau has never imposed discipline on officers at the heart of the suit.

In the wake of the death of Aaron Campbell, an unarmed black man who was shot by an officer after a tense standoff, frustrations with the Police Bureau have been high, leading some police critics to think that reform could be within reach.

The Oregonian reported today, that Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman is amenable to improving the oversight system, and Mayor Sam Adams indicated on his Facebook page that he supports the ordinance. =”http://www.theblueline.com/images/or-portland%20optimized.jpg

The Rev. Renee Ward talks about the legislative angle of the shooting of Aaron Campbell, a 25-year-old unarmed man who was shot by Portland police after a tense standoff. A grand jury cleared the officer who shot Campbell, Aaron Frashour, which has prompted some critics to call for reform of the state’s use of force laws. Ward talks about what lawmakers can do to make sure that police are held accountable in future incidents.

Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman, center, addresses reporters. Left is Lolenzo Poe, who co-chairs the African American Alliance with Joyce Harris, right.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

This morning Mayor Sam Adams and Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman appeared at the North Portland Police Precinct with local African American leaders to announce that they were calling for a federal investigation into the police shooting of Aaron Campbell.

Saltzman reiterated his confidence in both the Police Bureau and Chief Rosie Sizer.

“But I also believe that this process must occur,” added Saltzman, who said that asking the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to investigate is crucial in brining healing to a city that has been rattled by the killing. Although, he noted that he doesn’t expect the investigation to find any wrong doing.

Saltzman also said that the Police Bureau is not waiting for the feds and is doing a “top-to-bottom” review of how it handles people having mental health episodes, the use of AR-15 rifles (the weapon that killed Campbell), and how it handles down subjects.

Rev. Allen T. Behtel, the president of the Albina Ministerial Alliance, applauded the move by Saltzman and Adams.

“We’re not going back, we’re going forward so everyone can have justice,” he said.

Joyce Harris, the co-chair of the African American Alliance, said that a federal investigation was needed because it would be independent from local law enforcement agencies, which would make for a more penetrating and critical inquiry into the incident.

She added that investigators would look at the “broader picture,” taking into account past police killings.

Adams repeatedly stated that not all Portlanders have access to the city’s quality of life, referring to the sobering racial disparities seen in the city, which he hoped to address with broader policy initiatives on the city level.

“The simple passage of time will not heal all wounds in this matter,” he said.

He also echoed Saltzman’s remarks that having the investigation will help restore citizen’s, particularly African Americans, faith in the police.

“We can deal with this; we can make progress,” said Adams.

During questions, Harris was asked if the Scott Westerman, president of the police union, was present at a local breakfast sponsored by the African American Alliance. The union has been a stalwart supporter of its officers facing scrutiny for use of force.

“We agreed to disagree on that,” replied Harris, of their diverging views.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Yesterday a judge released the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that cleared Ronald Frashour, a police officer who shot a Aaron Campbell in northeast Portland.

The release of the transcripts, an unprecedented move, came after a number of voices, including Police Chief Rosie Sizer and Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman, called for them to be made public.

Regrettably, we don’t have the time nor the energy to sort through 454 page document, but here’s a round up from a couple news outlets that do.

The Oregonian’s coverage reveals that accounts of the shooting vary widely.

Several witnesses said that Campbell walked out of the apartment complex backwards with his hands behind his head, and yelled at one point for the police to shoot him.

Accounts differ exactly what happened after Campbell was shot with a beanbag gun, and it’s not clear if he lifted his jacket or not.

But the most interesting part is testimony from Frashour:

Frashour, a bureau defensive tactics instructor and firearms instructor, was looking through the sights of AR-15 rifle as he kept cover behind a marked police car parked in the complex. He said he saw Campbell emerge with his hands on his head, moving quickly. He said he heard officers giving commands, and Campbell shouting back, but couldn’t remember what was being said, noting that the police dog to his left was barking.

When he saw a beanbag round hit the man, Frashour said Campbell took a “stutter” step. He said he saw Campbell deliberately reach inside his clothing — something that other officers didn’t report seeing. “He stood straight up, caught his balance and reached straight down the middle of his back…He reached down into the back of his waistband with his left hand, all the way down into his pants, not grabbing his waistband, and I knew I knew exactly what he was doing…”

Frashour said he thought to himself, “Don’t do that. Don’t reach for your gun.” He said he saw Campbell run behind a parked car in what he thought was a move for cover.

“I knew that I could not let him get cover and start shooting at other officers and myself…I mean it was unfortunate, I had to shoot him when he got to the edge of the car.’”

“I would never have chosen for that situation to happen. I didn’t want that to happen. That was simply my job, I had to do that.”

The Portland Mercury’s coverage of transcripts is also interesting.

Officer Jim Quackenbush had tried to talk Campbell down, telling him that he too had recently lost relatives and empathized with him.

The Mercury’s article also brings up how the district attorney didn’t bring in Sgt. Liani Reyna, who was commanding the scene.

Critics have brought up how her absence might have affected the outcome of the proceedings.

One juror tries to ask Officer Quackenbush about Reyna’s control of the situation “At this point it’s—it’s Sergeant Reyna who’s in charge of the whole situation; is that correct?”

“We had two sergeants there,” says Quackenbush.

“I see,” says the juror.

“So they—I think they’re—I think they’re both kind of coordinating different things, but I’m not sure,” says Quackenbush.

“Either sergeant, then, may have seen him come out, is that correct?” asks the juror.

Then Rees interrupts. “Again, I would just caution you…
“Yeah,” says Quackenbush.
“Only to answer—” says Rees.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

The Oregonian is reporting that Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman has called for the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the death of Aaron Campbell, who was shot by police late last month.

Saltzman joins Rev. Jesse Jackson and local leaders who want an investigation into the incident to see if his rights were violated.

“I’m going to support a Department of Justice investigation. I think it will be a healthy thing,” Saltzman said. But he added that he didn’t expect any investigation into the shooting would show violations of Campbell’s civil rights. “I think we’ll find on balance the Bureau has not done anything to violate his civil rights.”

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Earlier today, a demonstration to protest the return of Ronald Frashour, a Portland police officer who shot Aaron Campbell last month, to work was held downtown.

Protesters made their way to City Hall, where they confronted Mayor Sam Adams, who agreed to meet with Campbell’s mother behind closed doors.

We don’t know what was said at the meeting, but here’s a statement released from the mayor’s office:

Statement by Mayor Adams following meeting with the Campbell family

“Today, joined by members of Portland’s community – of all races and backgrounds — Reverend Leroy Haynes personally delivered a letter to me on behalf of the Albina Ministerial Alliance. The letter calls for a public inquiry into the police-involved shooting and death of Aaron Campbell. It also calls for strengthened police review and oversight. I want to thank Rev. Haynes, Rev. Bethel and the AMA for what they have to say, and for facilitating my meeting with Reverend Jesse Jackson and Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman yesterday.

Following receipt of the AMA’s letter, I asked the family of Aaron Campbell to join me in my office to have a face-to-face conversation. Let me make this abundantly clear: Aaron Campbell did not need to die that January night. The events and on-the-scene communication breakdown that occurred cost the Campbell family a son, a brother, a cousin. The Campbell family’s pain, anger and outrage are real, they are justified and they deserve serious attention.

The Campbell family’s main concern is the return of Officer Frashour to active duty, in any capacity. I hear their message. I will speak today with Police Commissioner Saltzman and Chief Sizer about their concerns.

In the interim, I support immediate changes in police procedure and transparency. The decision by Judge Jean Maurer to approve the release of the grand jury proceedings is part of, and only a part of, the work that needs to happen to increase transparency and accountability. I sincerely hope that this action taken by the Court, the first of its kind, sets a precedent for transcribing and releasing testimony related to fatal police shootings.

This City has a lot of grieving left to do, and much work ahead of us to heal the rifts highlighted by this incident. We have real work ahead of us in addressing the fundamental inequities and disparities within our community, and I will work closely with the Police Commissioner and Police Chief to ensure that the Police Bureau is a part of that work.

Final decisions regarding the Portland Police Bureau are made by Police Commissioner Saltzman. However, having served as Chief of Staff to a Portland Police commissioner for more than a decade, I will continue to consult with Commissioner Saltzman and Chief Sizer and take a more visible role in public safety issues.”

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

The Oregonian is reporting that Presiding Judge Jean Kerr Maurer granted the district attorney his motion to release the grand jury proceedings regarding the Campbell incident.

The grand jury, didn’t indict the officer who killed Aaron Campbell, but it released a scathing letter criticizing the Police Bureau.

Since then, there has been a growing number of calls for the proceedings to be made public, which has included Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman and the jurors themselves.

Rev. Jesse Jackson addresses reporters before a rally at Maranatha Church.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Rev. Jesse Jackson, a national civil rights leader, made his way to Portland earlier today at the invitation of Albina Ministerial Alliance to call attention to the shooting of Aaron Campbell, a black male who was killed by police late last month.

On Tuesday afternoon, Jackson, who was in Eugene on a planned visit to the University of Oregon, met with Mayor Sam Adams and Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman to discuss the incident that has spurred calls for more accountability of the Police Bureau.

“It was a good meeting,” said Jackson, speaking to reporters in Maranatha Church in northeast Portland, who described it as non-confrontational, but didn’t go into specifics.

He condemned the incident forcefully, saying it was “beneath the dignity of man” for Campbell to lay bleeding to death on the concrete after being shot.

Jackson also had harsh words for the process that left Ronald Frashour, the officer who shot Campbell with an AR-15 rifle, free to return to work on Wednesday.

He said that it was an insult for the officer to return to work when the community was still reeling from the incident, and said that he should be suspended.

“There can be no justice until you take the glass out of the wound,” he said.

Jackson said that the grand jury that chose not to indict Frashour was all white. He also asserted that key witnesses were not called to the stand.

“We fight terrorists around the world. We at least want to be protected from terrorism at home,” he said.

Holding a copy of the Urban League’s “State of Black Oregon” report, which found blacks at the bottom of nearly every social indicator, Jackson called for the city to act to address inequity and create more equitable opportunity for all citizens.

He also mentioned that the police had killed four other people in the last seven years, which he found to be a sign that the Police Bureau was in deep need of systematic reform, and was an issue of national concern.

Jackson echoed calls made by local leaders for the U.S. Justice Department to get involved in the case, and for a special prosecutor to be assigned.

“You’d do that to protect the system’s integrity,” he said.

Before speaking to over 1,000 people in the church, former state Senator Avel Gordly, who is leading a second effort to recall Adams, again blasted the leadership at City Hall before Jackson took the state.

He called for a stop to violence and for citizens to apply more pressure to the city if Frashour returns to work.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

The death of Aaron Campbell, a reportedly suicidal Portland resident, by the hand of a police officer is causing the bureau to evaluate how it handles people experiencing a crisis.

On Friday, Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman told reporters that he was looking into the issue.

From the Oregonian’s coverage:

Saltzman said on Friday he has asked the bureau to arrange for mental health workers to be available and to respond with police officers on mental-health related calls. In addition, he is calling on outside experts to evaluate the police bureau’s tactics and training with mentally ill subjects.

The move is in addition to the required “crisis intervention training” that police officers were required to undergo following Chasse’s death in 2006. The training was an effort to help officers respond more effectively and compassionately to mentally or developmentally disabled people.

But the Portland Observer reported that the police have a direct line to the county’s Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, which would have provided mental health workers to help defuse the situation.

After a press conference earlier today, where Saltzman was pretty mum, the Portland Observer caught up with him to press him on his plans for reevaluating this topic.

He said that he is looking at the issue “top to down,” including the 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Training that all officers receive to better equip them to deal with someone experiencing a mental health episode.

Saltzman will also be reviewing the on scene command structure, and wants the bureau to partner more closely with mental health workers.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

At a press conference in the Justice Center earlier today, Police Chief Rosie Sizer and Mayor Sam Adams took tough questions on the death of Aaron Campbell, a 25-year-old who was shot by police after a tense stand off.

“I am a veteran of 25 years with the Portland Police Bureau, and, unfortunately from time to time, particularly around use of force issues- that I can think of a small handful in my 25 years- we seem to be at odds with our community,” said Sizer, who was flanked by two large graphs showing that complaints against the police have dropped in recent years, as have use of force incidents.

She said that she would continue to be in dialogue with the community on policing issues, and it was important for the bureau to listen to the public they serve.

Sizer was asked about Rev. Jesse Jackson’s visit to Portland today.

She said that she hoped that Jackson, who was asked to come to Portland by the Albina Ministerial Alliance, would bring healing to the situation.

“I don’t think he’s an expert on use of force issues, but certainly hopefully he can help the dialogue,” she said.

Reporters also asked about Ronal Frashour, the officer who fired the fatal shot at Campbell.

In 2006, Frashour Tased a man who was videotaping the police. The action lead to a lawsuit against the city, which it lost.

Sizer said that Frashour will be back to work tomorrow on the Neighborhood Response Team in East Precinct, and is not taking calls.

The chief was also asked why incidents that involve minorities or the mentally ill seem to escalate into fiascos so frequently.

Sizer pointed out that a bureau report shows that, beside pepper spray, officers use force proportionate to minorities consistent with their arrest rates.

“It’s rather complicated to describe,” she said.

Sizer said that the mental health services are often strained and police are the first responders to someone having a crisis.

“Unfortunately we don’t have a choice weather we can respond or not,” she said.

Sizer also pointed out that officers do receive training to deal with people having mental health episodes, but are still not mental health professional.

Sizer seemed to want to give “wonkish” answers to questions, and cite statistics that show that the bureau has made great strides in improving community relations and using less force to deescalate situations.

“I think the community has expectations, sometimes, that we have perfect outcomes,” she said, pointing out that the police and the public often concentrate on tragedies, but don’t follow up when the bureau makes positive advancements.

Sizer also stressed that police have to synthesize policy and their own moral institution in tight situations that don’t leave them much time to digest.

“I think that delivering is a very, very challenging problem for police officers,” she said.

Adams also made an unexpected appearance at the conference.

“I think this is an incredibly important learning opportunity for the entire city,” said Adams, who is one of the few mayors of Portland who did not assign himself the Police Bureau in his portfolio.

He stressed that he understood that the city’s African Americans are at the bottom of almost every meaningful social indicator, and he wanted the city to provide equal opportunity to all.

Adams said that cuts in mental health services have been “devastating.”

“In the totality of the situation, we are not keeping up,” he said.

When asked about Jackson’s visit Adams said that he felt it was an opportunity to help address the issue.

Adams also said he would be more visible with policing issues, and fully supported Sizer.

“I think she would be the first to say, nobody’s perfect,” he said.