Portland Police Bureau Crisis Continues
Saturday, February 13, 2010
With the Portland Police Bureau in crisis and seemingly leaderless someone finally stepped up to take responsibility this week. “I ultimately am responsible for the performance of this organization,” said Police Chief Rosie Sizer. The problem with that statement is that she’s wrong.
Our Police Bureau is overseen by the City Council, the police commissioner, and ultimately the person who appoints the police commissioner: Mayor Sam Adams.
Chief Sizer and Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, the police commissioner, are promising reforms in the Bureau after a “stinging rebuke” to the Bureau by a grand jury in the wake of the shooting death of Aaron Campbell, the latest unarmed victim to be killed by the police. The grand jury investigating Mr. Campbell’s death wrote to the DA this week saying:
We know something went terribly, terribly wrong at Sandy Terrace and that Aaron Campbell should not have died that day. He was not accused of a crime. The police were called to do a “welfare check” because Mr. Campbell was distraught over his brother’s death and family members were worried about him. We feel that his death resulted from flawed police policies, incomplete or inappropriate training, incomplete communication, and other issues with the police effort. We feel strongly that something must be done to correct this, and the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) should be held responsible for this tragedy. However, the charter of the grand jury does not include indicting or censuring the Portland Police Bureau.
If Mr. Campbell’s death had been an isolated incident the community might be more forgiving, but this is the latest in a string of incidents (see Chasse, James).
Promising reforms is great. But why has it taken so long for Saltzman and Sizer to see that reforms are needed? Why is the city still - after over three years - refusing to take responsibility in the Chasse matter?
Commissioner Saltzman and Chief Sizer have proven ineffectual in their leadership roles (and I say that with sadness, as I have previously supported Commissioner Saltzman in his election efforts and publicly praised Rosie Sizer’s elevation to chief).
Mayor Adams deserves the blame and criticism that Saltzman and Sizer are now enduring, however. He’s the AWOL mayor. The buck never stops with him.
Chief Sizer should be demoted and allowed to retire this summer so that she can collect her pension. Commissioner Saltzman should be relieved of his responsibilities as police commissioner.
Mayor Adams should step up to the plate and show some actual leadership by assuming the duties of police commissioner and reforming the bureau. None of that is likely, however. The mayor is politically wounded and the police union - which defends every bad action and puts self-interest above the common good - calls the shots, literally.