There is troubling timing involved in the City of Portland’s decision to allow the Community Oversight Advisory Board, which faced an uphill battle in advising police reforms, to dissolve at the end of January (“Oversight board begs for renewed life,” Jan. 27). It came one day before the 7th anniversary of the police shooting of Aaron Campbell, which was marked by a march organized by the Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform.
While much of the conversation around police reform in Portland rightly focuses on the treatment of individuals facing mental illness, persistent racial bias among police must also be brought to the fore of official discussions. The shooters of black Portland residents Kendra James, Aaron Campbell, and Keaton Otis ultimately faced few consequences; at least two were reinstated to the police force and another is now a Multnomah County prosecutor. Concrete reforms must be undertaken to ensure that racial bias – conscious or unconscious – is acknowledged, addressed, and no longer tolerated by Portland Police.
Mayor Wheeler seems to have good intentions, which I hope are backed by serious engagement with the AMA Coalition in pursuit of serious change. All Oregonians would do well to become more familiar with the AMA Coalition’s five goals, which include a thorough review of deadly force policies with diverse community input on changes and training. Community trust and lives – particularly lives of color – depend on such reforms.
Lisa Wilson, Northwest Portland
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