News Two days after raising questions about his opponent's ethics, Jesse Cornett, candidate for Portland City Council against Commissioner Dan Saltzman, finds that the tables have turned. The Portland Observer today reports that Cornett has "backed down from a claim he made in an interview with the Portland Observer (April 21 issue) that he worked with a former Portland State University student to ...   More

News Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman this afternoon apologized to the family of James Chasse Jr. after the city reached a $1.6 million settlement in a lawsuit over Chasse's 2006 death in police custody. "I believe this proposed settlement to be in the best interests of our city and our community, and it's my hope that by settling this case, we can begin to heal from the tragic death of Mr. Chasse," ...   More

News The person everyone wants to hear from, following this morning's major police shakeup, is Commissioner Dan Saltzman. But Saltzman wasn't at City Hall after Mayor Sam Adams announced at noon he was both taking over the Police Bureau (16 months after taking the unusual step for a mayor of assigning it to Saltzman) and firing Chief Rosie Sizer. Meanwhile, one of Saltzman's main opponents in the ...   More

News When Mayor Sam Adams and new Police Chief Mike Reese rolled out their revised police budget last month, they said it was all about preserving public safety in Portland by keeping cops on the streets. "This budget is about protecting the operational integrity of the Portland Police Bureau," Reese was quoted as saying in a news release. "Units like Mounted Patrol and Cold Case are what Portlanders ...   More

News Back when he was still in charge of the police, city Commissioner Dan Saltzman was making noise about drug-testing for cops. Disturbed by a widening FBI steroid investigation that began in the Canby cop shop and that has spread to neighboring agencies, Saltzman told KOIN 6 he wanted to make drug testing part of ongoing contract negotiations with the police union. Now that Mayor Sam Adams ...   More

News The Portland Police Association announced today it has two candidates heading for a runoff to be president of the 900-member union. Officer Daryl Turner got 44 percent of the 671 votes cast. Sgt. Doug Justus got 39 percent. A third candidate, Officer John Grable, did not make the runoff. Ballots in the runoff election will be counted July 21. Whichever candidate wins the election, there's ...   More

News A year and a half ago, it was then-Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman's "Operation Cool Down." Today, Mayor Sam Adams didn't borrow Saltzman's operational title for his own effort to crack down on gang violence. But he might have. After the dreariest June on record, the mayor linked gang violence to hot weather. "Law enforcement data shows an increase in gang activity in the Portland area. ...   More

News The political action committee supporting a proposed $72.4 million Portland fire bond (PDF) that recently got put on the fall ballot has picked up a little seed money for its campaign. Portlanders For Public Safety today recorded a $1,000 contribution from city Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who had weighed in with some changes to the bond proposal, and a $2,500 donation from Portland Timbers/Beavers ...   More

News For victims of domestic violence in Multnomah County, finding support has become a little easier. The new Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services holds its grand opening this afternoon at 1 pm. City Commissioner Dan Saltzman and County Chairman Jeff Cogen will co-host the event at Gateway, a city-county venture that is expected to be a “one-stop services center in the Portland area” ...   More

News Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz has thrown her weight behind Loretta Smith in the race to represent North and Northeast Portland on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners. On her personal blog, Fritz (photo by Darryl James) says it was a tough choice between Smith and her opponent in the race, Karol Collymore. "It is truly exciting and satisfying that there are two dynamic, ...   More