Police Reform Comes Before Portland City Council
Portland City Council is about to take up the issue of police oversight. Here’s a roundup of related news: At the end of August, Portland City Council will take up the issue of independent oversight of the Portland Police Bureau. Council will have 60 days to alter or accept the current proposal. Voters in 2020 approved a new police oversight board to “investigate, discipline and even fire police officers who engaged in misconduct,” Willamette Week.
Portland City Council is about to take up the issue of police oversight. Here’s a roundup of related news:
New Police Oversight Board
At the end of August, Portland City Council will take up the issue of independent oversight of the Portland Police Bureau. Council will have 60 days to alter or accept the current proposal. Voters in 2020 approved a new police oversight board to “investigate, discipline and even fire police officers who engaged in misconduct,” Willamette Week reports. [Willamette Week]
Memo to Police: Stop Blaming the DA
In a May 4 memo, revealed for the first time last week, Police Chief Chuck Lovell directed police officers to stop blaming Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt (inaccurately) for inaction on crime. “What is completely unacceptable is telling a community member that you will not take police action because the District Attorney refuses to prosecute cases,” the chief wrote in the memo obtained by the Oregonian. [Oregonian]
- Related: District Attorney Mike Schmidt on dealing with record crime. [City Cast Portland 🎧]
PPB Lobbied for Funding with Lack of Traffic Enforcement
In 2021, police highlighted the fact that they would no longer have a traffic enforcement division. Last week, Bike Portland got Sgt. Ty Engstrom to admit that the public effort to highlight lack of enforcement was about getting more funding for police: “We needed to create a stir to get some change, to get them [City Council] to fund us back up. And I mean, that’s the honest truth. I know, that could make things more dangerous. I don’t know. But at the same time, we needed some change.” [Bike Portland]
More about Local Civics
$106M in Unspent Funds at the Portland Housing Bureau
The Portland Housing Bureau has $106 million in unspent funds, the city administrator disclosed late last week. Some of it may be spoken for, but it leaves open the question of how City Council will spend the funds. When the pot of unspent funds was believed to be only $21 million, City Council was divided over whether to spend it on rent assistance or a Prosper Portland housing project. Maybe all of the above are possible now. [Portland Mercury]
City Cast Portland staffFeb 10, 2026
The Gas Tax and Oregon's Legislative Session
State lawmakers convene in Salem next week after a chaotic few weeks for Democratic state leaders as they scramble to address the issue of transportation funding. They have a key problem: Voters appear to oppose the gas tax passed last fall.
City Cast Portland staffJan 28, 2026
US Sen. Wyden Explains His Votes To Arm Israel
Oregon’s U.S. senators usually vote the same way (like for continuing the government shutdown until healthcare costs are addressed). But a key exception in recent months was Sen. Ron Wyden’s support for continued arms sales to Israel while Sen. Jeff Merkley voted to oppose them. Wyden’s support came up again last weekend — at a Portland Book Festival event featuring Omar Al Ekkad, author of “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” (a title you may recognize as “the one book every Portlander should read right now”).
City Cast Portland staffNov 12, 2025