On 21 Sep 2023, "Paul B." <nowomr@protonmail.com> posted some
news:ueis5k$3pbnq$10@dont-email.me:

> Easy solution. Give the homeless all the drugs they want, let the
> street sweepers clean them up in the morning. Dump them in a hole in
> the ground.

Portland, Ore., shelled out thousands of taxpayer dollars to a group of
homeless people to have them evaluate the city's new Police
Accountability Commission after the city said that its "houseless
community" should shape the way cops are disciplined.

Portland's Police Accountability Commission hired a marketing firm in
June and July to hold focus groups with participants from "communities
that have been historically underrepresented � or who are vulnerable to
police misconduct or discrimination," according to a commission report.
The city held one session at a local homeless shelter, which invited
"twenty participants from the houseless community" to provide their
"thoughts and ideas about the police" and the city's disciplinary
policies for law enforcement officers. Each participant received a $200
gift card, meaning the city paid at least $4,000 to hold the focus group
at the homeless shelter.

The revelation provides a window into how Portland and other left-wing
cities are working to make "systemic changes" to their police discipline
policies in the wake of George Floyd's death. At the height of the Black
Lives Matter movement in 2020, Portland voters approved a ballot measure
to establish a new Police Accountability Commission, which has spent
nearly two years designing a new system to replace the city's police
review board. The new board will have broad power to subpoena police
records, investigate police conduct, and discipline officers.

Law enforcement veterans are barred from serving on the board, as are
their immediate family members. The city is shelling out thousands of
dollars, however, to receive feedback from law enforcement opponents. In
addition to the homeless group, the city sought out focus group
participants who have a "history of working with over-policed
communities," as well as "equity practitioners" and "anyone who has
witnessed or experienced police misconduct."

A majority of those participants, the commission concluded in its
report, told the city that its police oversight system is ineffective.
Those conversations reflected the "systemic changes needed to build a
safer and more just community for Portland's citizens," the city said.

But not all city officials are sold on the new commission. During a May
city council meeting, some members expressed concern over the
commission's "legitimacy," with Portland mayor Ted Wheeler (D.) arguing
that the public will not take the body seriously if it does not include
police officers. City council member Rene Gonzalez (D.) echoed those
concerns, noting that voter sentiment on police accountability has
changed since the summer of 2020, a year in which anti-police activists
participated in fiery riots across the country following Floyd's death.
Fellow council member Mingus Mapps (D.), meanwhile, lamented that voters
have not approved the budget increase associated with the commission,
which will grow its staff from 12 to 56.

"My concern is that if this is not seen as a balanced, fair approach to
oversight and accountability, it will quickly be seen by the public and
by our employees as an illegitimate process, and then we'll have a major
mess on our hands that we will have to sort out," Wheeler said.

Portland's city council did not return a request for comment. The city's
police bureau said it has not been involved in the shaping of the new
commission, which will investigate police shootings and other
high-profile incidents. The city plans to launch its new oversight
system by 2025.

Published under: Black Lives Matter , Defund the Police , George Floyd ,
Homelessness , Oregon , Police , Portland , Ted Wheeler

https://freebeacon.com/policy/portland-pays-homeless-people-thousands-to-
shape-citys-police-disciplinary-system/