The Department of Homeland Security issued policies for the agency’s body-worn camera program last week which are at odds with those supported by federal civil rights prosecutors in Portland.
A “campaign of widespread violence” by the Portland Police Bureau violated thousands of protesters’ constitutional rights during the city’s 2020 racial justice demonstrations, according to a motion seeking class action certification filed Wednesday in federal court on behalf of protesters.
Questions about the Portland police’s upcoming body camera program were front and center during a hearing before a federal judge Tuesday, as the city and the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) continue to struggle over a policy agreement. The use of body cameras is a condition of the longstanding settlement agreement between the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and city of Portland, which seeks to remedy PPB’s disproportionate use of force against people with mental illnesses..
A years-long standoff between the City of Portland and the Portland Police Association over what policies will govern federally mandated body cameras ended in a stalemate this week. The two sides’ final respective proposals were released Friday and the decision now heads to an arbitrator to make the final decision.