News Commissioner Randy Leonard recently announced plans to arm the 19-member Water Bureau Security force. Although Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman and Police Chief Rosie Sizer panned the idea, Leonard has said he'd like to move forward. Leonard is now bringing in a trusted ally with strong law enforcement credentials into the Water Bureau. WW has learned that the commissioner has hired former ...   More

News Here's an odd event at City Hall: Commissioner Dan Saltzman has filed a public records request for "all written Activity Reports, Dispatched Incidents, and written Security Reports produced by Water Bureau personnel over the past 12 months." That highly unusual move last Friday by a city commissioner followed a meeting the day before between Saltzman and the Water Bureau's director, David Shaff. ...   More

News Three months after Mayor Sam Adams called the proposal for a new westside staging area a top city priority, City Council appeared no closer today to agreeing where on Portland's west side to site that staging area to respond to possible natural disasters. Until that siting decision happens, City Council won't begin to discuss how to pay for the staging area. The funding had been included in ...   More

News The state agency that trains cops has thrown more water on City Commissioner Randy Leonard's ongoing efforts to give greater police powers to security officers for the Portland Water Bureau. When last we reported on the issue, Leonard was exploring using an obscure state law that lets water bureaus form special police forces. The goal is to arm the bureau's security guards and give them power ...   More