Federal Justice Department Wants Portland Police To Wear Body Cams
PORTLAND, Ore–The city was supposed to meet federal requirements laid out in 2014 as part of a settlement agreement. Mayor Ted Wheeler and Portland police command staff met with Justice Department lawyers Tuesday. The meeting was labeled productive. The Justice Department laid out 9 remedies for Portland Police. Number 1 on the list, is to equip all officers with body-worn cameras. Number 7 on the list wants to hold high level supervisors accountable for allowing use of force against protestors . Lieutenants, and those in command above them should be held accountable if they approved force by Rapid Response Team officers without justification during the Summer of 2020 protests.
By October the 2014 settlement agreement with the Justice Department needs to be amended to allow for the creation of the new voter-approved Community Police Oversight Board. The city is committed to to funding the current oversight system handled by the Independent Police Review office until a full transition is made to a future community board, which could be two or more years away.