Members of the Police Citizen Review Subcommittee struggled Wednesday night to make sense of apparent inconsistencies between a charter amendment and a proposed ordinance intended to bring a new, more robust Civilian Police Review Board to life.
Letter to the editor: Portland police review panel seeks public feedback
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Did you know that the Police Citizen Review Subcommittee was created by the Portland City Council in 2001? In the words of Biggie Smalls: “If you don’t know, now you know.”
The Police Citizen Review Subcommittee is a seven-member board that provides a form of accountability in Portland that helps promote fair and professional policing, and provides a layer of public accountability by looking to determine if a complaint filed by a citizen against a Portland Police officer was timely, fair, thorough and objective. The subcommittee also makes recommendations to the city manager, who seeks to better enhance public confidence and serve as a voice for the community.
Updated July 27
Portland police adopt some recommendations by racial equity committee, still far from others
Chief Frank Clark appears before a City Council workshop to outline how the department is progressing on racial justice issues highlighted by the specially formed city group.
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The Portland Police Department is adopting more rigorous anti-bias training, relying more on non-police specialists to help on mental health-related calls, and has begun screening new police applicants for bias-related conduct and concerns.
Those were some of the changes Chief Frank Clark outlined when he appeared before a City Council workshop Tuesday night to present the department’s progress and itemized responses to the list of recommendations made this spring by the city’s racial equity steering committee. The group was convened after the murder of George Floyd and the nationwide uprisings that called for racial justice and greater police accountability and oversight.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A panel appointed to fight racism in Portland is recommending a stronger police oversight board and a new city department to address racial bias in city policies, among.