The city of Portland and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) were back in federal court Wednesday morning to provide an update on the city’s ongoing attempts to comply with a 2014 settlement agreement with the DOJ. The agreement was reached after a federal investigation in 2012 found that Portland police had a practice of disproportionately using force against people experiencing a mental health crisis. The settlement agreement outlined a number of changes the city.
Portland's federally-mandated police oversight group will not be forced into a hiatus due to city staffing issues, according to Mayor Ted Wheeler. The Portland Commission on Community-Engaged Policing (PCCEP) is a volunteer group tasked with overseeing Portland Police Bureau's (PPB) adherence to a settlement agreement made with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2014 after the feds found PPB officers had a "pattern and practice" of using disproportionate force against people with a mental illness..
Six years ago, Portland's federally-required police oversight committee was in disarray. Now, it appears its replacement has reached a similar point. Dubbed the Community Oversight Advisory Board (COAB), the 15-person group of volunteers was tasked with overseeing the city's 2014 settlement agreement with the US Department of Justice, a decision meant to repair Portland Police Bureau's damning record of using force against people with mental illnesses. Part of the agreement required a level of community.