To promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government.

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*#+ Bonoiable Bistiict }uuge Nichael Simon

,$#!+ League of Women voteis of Poitlanu
Naigaiet Noel, Co-piesiuent
Bebbie Aiona, Action Chaii

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The League of Women voteis of Poitlanu's involvement in police
issues goes back moie than Su yeais to the eaily 198us. Community anu
membei conceins ovei police buugeting uecisions that weie inconsistent
with public piioiities anu high piofile cases of iacially uisciiminatoiy
policing against Afiican Ameiicans pioviueu the motivation foi a two-yeai
League stuuy of the Poitlanu Police. Thiough a piocess of membei
agieement, we auopteu a position statement fiom that stuuy that guiues
oui auvocacy to this uay. That position statement says, in pait:

}ust anu effective enfoicement of the law uemanus goou
policecommunity ielations. We suppoit the specializeu
euucation anu tiaining of police peisonnel in human
ielations, incluuing the use of specialists fiom outsiue the
Buieau. . We suppoit citizen involvement in the functioning
of the Poitlanu Police Buieau incluuing, but not limiteu to,
buuget auvisoiy committees, piecinct auvisoiy councils, anu
citizen auvisoiy gioups.

The League's involvement has focuseu piimaiily on the police
oveisight system anu began when one of oui past piesiuents seiveu on the
Stoiis Commission that leu to the cieation in 1982 of Poitlanu's fiist
oveisight agency, the Police Inteinal Investigations Auuiting Committee
(PIIAC). Theie weie some on the committee, incluuing the League, who
wanteu a much stiongei system, but the auuit mouel was the compiomise
iesult. League membeis monitoieu PIIAC ovei the yeais when it was in
existence.
The League of Women Voters of Portland
310 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 520, Portland, OR 97204
(503) 228-1675 info@lwvpdx.org www.lwvpdx.org
Board of Directors
Margaret Noel
Co-President
Kathleen Hersh
Co-President
Debbie Kaye
1st Vice President
Peggy Bengry
2nd Vice President
Marnie Lonsdale
3rd Vice President
Lynn Baker
Secretary
Mary Hepokoski
Treasurer
Debbie Aiona
Barbara Masvidal
Jessica Aiona
Corynn Buckholdt
Rita Fawcett
Jane Gigler
Kris Hudson
Off Board Leaders
Mary McWilliams
Nominating
Corinne Paulson
Endowment
Janine Settelmeyer
Voter Registration &
Naturalization
Ceremony
Barbara Stalions
Budget & Voters
Guide Distribution

Beth Burczak
Ann Mulroney
Portland Economic
Study Chairs

To promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government.
In 2uuu, foimei Nayoi veia Katz appointeu a woik gioup assigneu to ieview PIIAC
anu iecommenu impiovements. The same League membei who hau seiveu on the Stoiis
Commission iepiesenteu the League on the woik gioup. The majoiity, incluuing the
League, iecommenueu iefoiming PIIAC by giving it poweis to conuuct inuepenuent
investigations, compel civilian anu officei testimony, iecommenu policy changes, anu
ieview completeu investigations of police shootings, among otheis.

City Council iequesteu that the City Auuitoi consiuei the woik gioup's
iecommenuations, ieseaich othei systems anu ietuin with a pioposal. The Council
auopteu the Auuitoi's iecommenueu Inuepenuent Police Review Bivision (IPR) anu its
Citizen Review Committee (CRC) in 2uu1. Although the IPR was given the limiteu authoiity
to conuuct inuepenuent investigations, it faileu to uo so until last yeai. In spite of the
community's uesiie foi a tiuly inuepenuent system, IPR has limiteu itself to monitoiing anu
coopeiating in the Police Buieau's inteinal affaiis investigations. Nany in the community
uo not tiust the Buieau to investigate police officeis involveu in misconuuct cases.
Fuitheimoie, the Bepaitment of }ustice (B0}) Settlement Agieement calls on the city to
enable meaningful inuepenuent investigations by IPR. (paiagiaph 128)

A League iepiesentative iegulaily obseives the full CRC meetings anu many of its
woikgioups. We have testifieu befoie City Council numeious times pioviuing oui
iecommenuations foi impiovements. In 2u1u, we seiveu on the Police 0veisight
Stakeholuei Committee that among othei things uigeu IPR to conuuct inuepenuent
investigations in seiious cases.

An effective oveisight system can inciease public unueistanuing of police policies
anu pioceuuies, uiscouiage misconuuct thiough ietiaining anu uiscipline, pioviue
inuiviuuals who feel they have been haimeu by the police an avenue foi auuiessing theii
complaints, anu impiove police piactices by iecommenuing policy changes. Auvocates,
incluuing the League, have woikeu foi yeais to impiove Poitlanu's oveisight system to
ensuie meaningful public paiticipation anu the public's iight to know the public's business.
0ui comments on the Settlement Agieement focus piimaiily on issues ielateu to the
oveisight system, public involvement anu tianspaiency.

The League appieciates the woik the B0} anu City of Poitlanu uevoteu to the
Agieement. A numbei of seiious issues weie uncoveieu uuiing the investigation anu
appiopiiate iemeuies aie incluueu in the Agieement. We believe, howevei, that theie aie
some piovisions that aie not faii, auequate oi ieasonable anu uige the Couit to facilitate
mouifications to the Agieement that woulu auuiess community conceins.

The CRC peifoims an extiemely impoitant function by heaiing appeals of
misconuuct cases anu seiving as a winuow into the woikings of the Police Buieau thiough
its ieviews anu auuits of closeu cases. Since the CRC's cieation, the community has
iecommenueu that its iole be stiengtheneu. Insteau, the Agieement fails to auuiess the
most tioublesome issues anu auus unieasonable expectations to this haiu-woiking
volunteei committee's uuties.


To promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government.
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Community membeis anu officeis have the option to appeal theii cases befoie the
CRC if they uisagiee with the commanuei's finuings. The piocess is complex anu, given
CRC's monthly meeting scheuule, can iequiie seveial sepaiate meetings foi complicateu
cases. Even when the outcome uoes not go the appellant's way, the caieful consiueiation
CRC uevotes to each case gives appellants a sense of satisfaction, because they know that
they weie heaiu anu that a ieview committee evaluateu theii aiguments thoioughly.

The Agieement calls foi these appeals to take place within an unieasonable time
fiame of 21 uays. At the point the complainant files the appeal, the CRC is notifieu that the
case file is ieauy foi ieview. The file must be ieau in city offices, geneially uuiing woik
houis, anu these files aie sometimes hunuieus of pages long.

Accoiuing to the cuiient piotocols, uevelopeu ovei the yeais to impiove the
expeiience foi people appealing the outcome of theii complaints, a ietiieu CRC membei is
assigneu to seive as an Appeals Piocess Auvisoi (APA) foi the appellant. The APA anu
appellant usually meet moie than once. The APA explains the piocess anu assists the
appellant in ueveloping a piesentation of the case foi the heaiing.

Then the oiuinance iequiies that a case file ieview be scheuuleu at which the CRC
uiscusses with Inteinal Affaiis (IA) anu IPR any conceins it may have with the quality of the
investigation. If CRC iuentifies shoitcomings, the Agieement iequiies IA oi IPR to
unueitake an auuitional investigation. The case file ieview was uevelopeu as an
impiovement to the system, to ieplace "pie-heaiings," which pieviously hau alloweu CRC
to ieject appeals. 0nce the investigation is complete, IPR scheuules the appeal heaiing.

The appeal heaiing enus the piocess if CRC agiees with Buieau finuings, but if the
CRC votes to challenge the finuings anu, aftei consultation with the Chief, the Buieau
uisagiees, a confeience heaiing is scheuuleu. At that heaiing the CRC anu Buieau attempt
to ieach agieement on the finuings. If that fails, City Council heais the case aftei ieviewing
the case file, anu makes a final uecision.

The numbei of steps neeueu to ieach the enu of the piocess makes it viitually
impossible to complete within 21 uays. Noie impoitantly, iushing thiough an appeal will
be uetiimental to the appellant's expeiience, especially if the inuiviuual has a mental
illness. Cuiiently, the APA has sufficient time to scheuule meetings with appellants anu
give them whatevei assistance they neeu. IPR has suggesteu that the case file ieview may
neeu to be eliminateu in oiuei to meet the 21-uay timeline. This pait of the piocess has
been in place foi the last seveial yeais anu has ieuuceu the neeu to suspenu appeal
heaiings when the investigation was incomplete. Appellants finu it uistiessing to piepaie
foi an appeal heaiing anu then have it suspenueu.

In iecent months, the CRC scheuuleu auuitional meetings in oiuei to piocess
appeals moie quickly. Buiing that time, two of the newei CRC membeis iesigneu citing the
unieasonable woikloau anu othei CRC membeis aie showing the stiain. Public
paiticipation in goveinment is essential to oui uemociacy. We neeu to have ieasonable
To promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government.
expectations of community volunteeis.

We believe it is possible foi CRC to piocess an appeal in a mannei that iespects the
uesiie of appellants to have theii cases thoioughly examineu anu get the suppoit they neeu
within a two to thiee month timefiame.


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Police shootings fall along the continuum of the potential outcomes of
policecommunity membei inteiactions. They can stait with a minoi inciuent that goes
teiiibly wiong. Investigations into shootings cases aie moie involveu anu compiehensive,
but iesult in uisciplinaiy finuings, just as in othei misconuuct cases.

The Agieement incluues a piovision that affiims the City's cuiient piactice of
uenying suivivois oi family membeis involveu in police shootings the iight to a CRC
appeal. These inuiviuuals often puisue theii cases in the couit system, but City settlement
payments uo not holu the involveu officeis accountable thiough the uisciplinaiy system.
These cases shoulu be subject to the same auministiative ieview, incluuing a CRC appeal, as
othei types of cases.


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The CRC opeiates unuei the "ieasonable peison" stanuaiu of ieview in its appeal
heaiings. In hei extensive examination of the system, Piofessoi Eileen Luna-Fiiebaugh
iecommenueu changing this uefeiential stanuaiu to something less confusing anu moie
appiopiiate. The 2u1u Police 0veisight Stakeholuei Committee, CRC anu community
oiganizations have echoeu that iecommenuation. At a minimum, this piovision shoulu be
iemoveu fiom the Agieement so the CRC, City anu community can continue to exploie
othei options.


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The B0} Lettei of Finuings points (page SS) to the "cuiious" natuie of the Police
Review Boaiu (PRB) heaiings at which a whole host of paiticipants attenu, incluuing the
involveu officei if heshe so chooses, but the peison whose case is being uiscusseu is
excluueu. At a iecent City Council heaiing, the mothei of a young man suffeiing fiom
mental illness testifieu about the woiiy anu uistiess causeu by not knowing what is
happening with the complaint he fileu. With the exception of the CRC appeal, eveiything
else takes place behinu closeu uoois. 0pening the PRB heaiings to the involveu community
membei woulu make the piocess faiiei anu moie humane.




To promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government.
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The Agieement calls foi the Chief to post on the Buieau's website pioposeu policy
ievisions foi public comment. The CRC shoulu be consulteu between the time the public
comment peiiou enus anu the policies aie finalizeu. Thiough its appeals of community
complaints of police misconuuct anu auuits of closeu cases, the CRC is in a unique position
to evaluate policy ievisions. Auuing this step to the public comment piocess woulu help
insuie that the lessons the CRC leains thiough its woik will be applieu to police policies.


K8320283285 K8?215;9:5;/81

The public anu outsiue expeits have calleu iepeateuly on IPR to conuuct
inuepenuent investigations of misconuuct complaints anu the B0} agiees. Recently, City
Council auopteu a coue change that gives IPR the authoiity to uiiectly ask questions once a
Buieau iepiesentative has instiucteu the involveu officei that heshe must coopeiate. The
community wants IPR to conuuct investigations without the neeu foi Buieau involvement;
this aiiangement uoes not auuiess that uesiie.

Fuitheimoie, given IPR's histoiy of conuucting an inuepenuent investigation only
once since its cieation, a ieasonable appioach woulu be to auu some teeth to the
Agieement by being specific about what types of cases IPR shoulu investigate
inuepenuently. The 2u1u Police 0veisight Stakeholuei Committee iecommenueu IPR
investigations of shootings, ueaths in custouy, physical injuiy iequiiing hospitalization,
iacial piofiling, illegal seaiches anu conflicts of inteiest. If the uecision is left to IPR
uiscietion, as the Agieement states (paiagiaph 128), we feai that inuepenuent
investigations of community complaints will be few anu fai between.


A/8>6L1;/8

Some of the piovisions in the Agieement peitaining to the oveisight system aie
likely to make the piocess less faii anu ieasonable foi people appealing uisciplinaiy
finuings in misconuuct cases. The uniealistically shoit 21-uay timeline foi appeal heaiings,
lack of access to a CRC appeal in police shootings anu exclusion of involveu citizens fiom
Police Review Boaiu heaiings will cieate ieal haiuships foi appellants, paiticulaily those
with mental illness.

Poitlanu values public paiticipation anu tianspaiency. 0ui community volunteeis
shoulu be tieateu with iespect anu the uemanus placeu on them shoulu not excluue
paiticipation by those with outsiue employment oi families. The abbieviateu appeals
piocess timeline coulu veiy well uo that. Fuitheimoie, the uefeiential "ieasonable peison"
stanuaiu of ieview that unnecessaiily limits the CRC fiom using its best juugment in appeal
cases fiustiates the ieview bouy anu cieates confusion. In the inteiest of thoioughness anu
tianspaiency, the CRC shoulu be given the oppoitunity to comment on Police Buieau policy
ievisions befoie they aie finalizeu.

To promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government.
Finally, a iecuiiing theme among community activists ovei the yeais has been the
uesiie foi inuepenuent investigations of police misconuuct. The B0} anu City have moveu
us closei to that iueal, but foi this Agieement to be faii, auequate anu ieasonable, the City
neeus to finu a way to enable IPR to conuuct investigations without Police Buieau
assistance.



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