City Council Shuts Out Public and Approves Police Contract

With extraordinary measures being taken to keep the public from attending the city council meeting, the council approved a new contract with the union representing police officers. The vote was 3-1.

The council took the vote in a blocked-off conference room on the third floor of city hall. The meeting had begun, as always, in the council chambers. But, after a half-hour of protests, Mayor Charlie Hales adjourned the meeting and then reconvened it in the conference room.

Members of the public, kept from attending the public meeting, kept their protest going on on the ground floor.

The contract, which gives officers a nine percent raise and does away with the rule that allowed officers involved in a shooting to wait 48 hours before speaking with investigators, has been called crucial by city officials - and the subject of many protests.

At last week's city council meeting, two protesters were arrested. That was one of many protests over the past few months.

On Tuesday morning, Portland Police Chief Mike Marshman had called the contract a "defining moment for the Portland Police Bureau."

Marshman says that the bureau is facing a staffing shortage that is at crisis level and is expected to get worse.

"The Bureau is facing a staffing crisis with 65 vacancies, and at least 21 more to come this month," says Marshman. "Past budget cuts also reduced the Bureau's authorized strength by 116 positions; the Bureau currently has an authorized strength of 948 sworn members.

"Even more alarming is that 385 members are projected to retire over the next five years."

Marshman says that the bureau is actively recruiting but only one out of 20 candidates is hired. And after being hired, it takes 18 months to train an officer.

The contract "would also provide an incentive for officers currently working at other agencies to come to Portland," Marshman says. "Lateral hires do not have to go through the state academy, significantly reducing training time, which benefits both the lateral hire and the community."

Photo Colin Miner