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Mounted Patrol Closed Down, Students Decry School Police, PPB Makes National News So much has been going on in the last several months, we don't have room to do full reports on these developments. --After years of Portland Copwatch railing against the violence and intimidation perpetrated by the Bureau's Mounted Patrol, and various efforts to eliminate its funds from the budget, the City Council finally de-funded the horse unit as of July 1. We wish the horses well in their retirement. --The Portland Student Action Network called to remove armed police from high schools because there are no data on who gets arrested, school police enforce rules disproportionately against students of color, and "Police in schools create a hostile culture and inhibit students' ability to feel safe" (KOIN-TV, May 8).
--Portland's messed-up Police Bureau prompted at least two national articles singling us out as an
outlier: The
New Chief Outlaw Chosen to Replace Marshman
On August 7, Mayor Wheeler announced he had decided to pick one of the four final candidates
for Police Chief-- and that it was not current Chief Mike Marshman. Rather, he chose Danielle
Outlaw, a deputy chief from Oakland. Only two of the four finalists' names (including Larry
Scirotto from Pittsburgh) were made public, contrary to promises made when the search began. In
addition to the endless humor to draw from her name, many have noted that Outlaw is the first
African American female chief in Portland's history. Despite their professed love for Marshman
(see Rapping Back), the
Portland Police Associaiton claimed to support the decision (Oregonlive, August 10).
For those paying attention to the revolving door at the Bureau, Assistant Chief Kevin Modica, the
previously highest-ranking African American officer, made a deal to retire on June 30 rather than
have his career tarnished by the outcome of an investigation (Oregonian, July 2). He had
been accused of failing to follow up on a complaint against the (African American) PPB Diversity
Manager for inappropriate remarks made to an Asian American employee.
During the waiting period for Outlaw to begin her term, Marshman decided to take vacation time
and leave Assistant Chief Chris Uehara in charge, presumably until October.
In a May 24 response to the City's survey about the search for a new Chief, Portland Copwatch
wrote: "[Our] general position is that you could hire the Dalai Lama and it won't ensure the
reforms that are needed. The important thing is to change the institution and culture of the
police."
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September, 2017
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Portland Copwatch Portland Copwatch is a grassroots, volunteer organization promoting police accountability through citizen action.
People's Police Report
#72 Table of Contents
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