Pickett's Charge: Read This Cop's New Column in Street Roots

The latest issue of Street Roots debuts a new monthly column by Officer Robert Pickett, a beat cop from the Portland Police Bureau's Central Precinct.

I confess I was doubtful when Street Roots director Israel Bayer told me a few weeks back about the new column in the paper. But Pickett does an admirable job of putting a human face on his job—and of highlighting the troubled intersection among poverty, mental illness and criminal justice.

If you haven't yet done so, check out our Sept. 15 cover story for more on that topic. Meanwhile here's the first installment of Pickett's new column.