Police misconduct and accountability have been hot topics this month.
Police Abuse of Power in 2020
Investigators from a company called Independent Monitor released a 95-page analysis of the behaviors of the Portland Police Department during protests in the summer of 2020. The report concludes that officers relied too heavily on rubber bullets, tear gas, and other harmful tactics. The report said the city must develop “guardrails to ensure that this power is never abused.” [Oregonian]
Body Cameras Coming This Week
The report from Independent Monitor cited a lack of video footage from the protests as a hurdle in investigations. Portland officers will finally begin wearing body cameras this week as part of the police bureau’s pilot program, after years of legal wrangling and nearly a decade after reaching a reform agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. [KGW]
Dealing With Record Crime
Mike Schmidt was elected Multnomah County District Attorney in 2020 and boldly exclaimed, “Multnomah County has just embraced the most progressive DA platform that this state has ever seen.” But the city’s skyrocketing crime rates say otherwise. We talked to him about how his strategy as the region’s top prosecutor has evolved against a myriad of challenges. [City Cast Portland 🎧]
