Portland Mayor Tom Potter fired a police officer this week that inappropriately used deadly force. That decision, according to The Oregonian, has drawn fire from the police union. Portland Police Association spokesman Pete Simpson told the paper: “"He has shown little to no respect for the police force from the moment he took office."
That is foolishness but not surprising if you consider the source. Over the years the Portland Police Association, the union of rank and file bureau members, has been a source of right-wing bile spewed against the city of Portland. As The Oregonian notes, PPA has a litany of complaints:
As chief in the early 1990s, Potter irritated old-school associates by taking controversial public stands such as his decision to march in a gay pride parade alongside his daughter, also a police officer. …
He angered many officers in 2005 when he pulled Portland police out of the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force, saying he wasn't comfortable with the amount of oversight officers were receiving. He sent a letter of apology to all officers in 2006 after saying that multiple police stops of a Somali American resident "smacked of racism."
Potter has been far more willing than predecessors to compromise on health care costs.
But officers say that whenever there is a public debate over the Portland police, Potter seems to side against them. He bucked the wishes of then-Chief Derrick Foxworth, for example, in pulling out of the terrorism group. He agreed with mental health advocates who said officers did not have enough training and accountability after the death of a mentally ill man, James Chasse Jr., in police custody. He blamed Kaer for escalating things with Young, a convicted felon.
When Portland Police officers killed James Chasse, an unarmed man suffering from chronic mental illness, the union sent out a press release questioning the commitment of Chasse’s family to his care. As one of the clergy who presided over the Chasse memorial, I learned of the family’s unflinching commitment and advocacy on behalf of James. As an advocate for programs that help lift people out of poverty and homelessness, I can testify that PPA has often been an opponent of efforts to tackle social issues.
Over the years the Portland Police Association has served as a right-wing noise machine that often obscures the good work done by the bureau. PPA is, in the end, a political group with a conservative social agenda that does not reflect the values that have made Portland an open and progressive city. Mayor Potter’s leadership, on the other hand, does demonstrate those values. His policies are meant to improve public safety and accountability. Unfortunately, the Portland Police Association doesn’t want to be held accountable and in many cases they simply do not meet the high standards for public involvement our citizens should insist on.
