People's Police Report UPDATES
Police Spying in Portland: Mayor's Response Incomplete
As reported in PPR #10, the Metropolitan Human Rights Commission (MHRC) made six proposals to City Council regarding the Criminal Intelligence Division, which was known to have been keeping files on political activists and organizations. Apparently, the CID is now known as the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU), which may be an effort to distance the Unit from the spying controversy.In any case, a letter from the MHRC to Mayor Katz dated January 30 indicates that the Mayor made responses to some of the proposals. Mayor Katz apparently denied the request "that 'reasonable grounds' be documented before an investigation is undertaken." She also failed to respond to a request for a civilian review board with civilian intake of complaints, subpoena power and independent investigators which was originally proposed by the Commission in 1993. (Copwatch supports all of these elements as well.)
As of PPR deadline the Mayor has not responded to these two concerns, but the City Council seems to want the MHRC to go away.
For more information contact the Metropolitan Human Rights Commission at 823- 5136.
Homeless Sweeps Continue; City Hall Indifferent
The situation for homeless campers continues to worsen.The State of Oregon requires 24-hour notice be given before removing homeless people from an established camping site.
On October 17, a sweep was performed in SE Portland during the 24 hour notification period, and police arrested 6 campers.
On January 2, employees of McLean Landscaping removed people's property from land owned by the Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT), unaware that the law requires the police to hold on to property taken from campsites for 30 days.
On January 3, officers told a camper at SE Division St. to leave or he would be arrested. The officers were not on duty the day they said they would make the arrest, and the Sergeant in charge did not return a call from Legal Aid requesting the notification process be used and no arrests be made.
Mayor Katz' response to Legal Aid on these matters was to equivocate. In the October case, she said the officers believed that sufficient notification had been given (the arresting officers were not the ones who posted the warning).
In the ODOT case, the Mayor states that public property, interpreted by the City, only includes property that is "open and readily available" to the public. There is no direct response on the January 3 action.
Her final suggestion is that citizens who feel they have been treated unfairly can contact Internal Affairs, and appeal the complaint to PIIAC. Ms. Katz apparently needs to spend some time talking to homeless people, who often do not have a way to be contacted for follow-up interviews and usually have more important things on their mind than going through city bureaucracy. Perhaps instead she should have promised that her police bureau would uphold the law.
For info on the October sweep, read the Dec. 1996 Portland Alliance.
To help homeless advocates, call Rob Justice at JOIN 232-2031.
To contact Legal Aid, call 224-4086.