Attorney General Loretta Lynch Visits Portland

United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch arrived in Portland Wednesday as part of her nationwide tour focused on police community relations.

The Justice Department says that Lynch will be visiting six cities that "have excelled in each of the six pillars discussed in the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

Those pillars are: building trust and legitimacy, policy and oversight, technology and social media, community policing and crime reduction, training and education and officer safety and wellness.

According to the Justice Department, Portland has excelled in community policing and crime reduction.

“One of my top priorities as Attorney General is strengthening relationships between law enforcement officers and the communities we serve and protect,” said Attorney General Lynch in a release.

On Wednesday, Lynch stopped by Portland Police's Central Precinct where she addressed officers at roll call.

On Thursday she will meeting with officers, community leaders, and students from around the city during a visit to the Blazers Boys and Girls Club in Northeast Portland.

Lynch says a major part of these meetings is the opportunity to discuss how we can ensure that every American benefits from neighborhoods that are supportive, safe and strong.”

At the Thursday meetings, Lynch will also be accompanied by US Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams.

Relations between the community and Portland Police have been volatile at times, to say the least.

It reached the point around five years ago that Commissioner Dan Saltzman and then-Mayor Sam Adams requested that the Justice Department examine the practices of the police bureau.

That investigation led to the conclusion by the Justice Department in 2012 that the bureau used excessive force against people dealing with mental health issues.

As a result of that investigation, the city and Justice Department negotiated a settlement granting the Justice Department some oversight of the police bureau.