News Critical of the fact it took more than 25 minutes to reach the body of a man recently shot by Portland police, City Commissioner Dan Saltzman has ordered money set aside to equip all Portland cops with ballistic shields. The shields would allow cops on the scene to more quickly approach a shooting victim in situations like the one that unfolded Jan. 29 in the shooting death of 25-year-old Aaron ...   More

News Following up on his pledge from last week to reach out to African-American candidates for jobs with the Portland Police Bureau, Commissioner Dan Saltzman met with several recruits in his office this morning. Last Friday, Saltzman said some potential police officers had turned down jobs with the bureau in response to the fatal shooting of Aaron Campbell on Jan. 29. I'll update this post with ...   More

News After failing to qualify for public campaign financing in her City Council bid, Mary Volm -- former long-time City of Portland employee, pictured above -- just pulled a $5,000 private donation. The donor is Jasun Wurster, the former spokesman for the campaign to recall Mayor Sam Adams. Wurster is also Volm's boyfriend. Volm, of course, is hoping to unseat Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who is seeking ...   More

News While reporting on tomorrow's WW cover story about the Aaron Campbell shooting, I requested data from the police bureau on the number of minority cops it employs. The question was prompted by two recent events. First was Rev. Jesse Jackson's calls in Portland Feb. 16 for greater minority representation in the cop shop and in city government. Then came Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman's statement ...   More

News The African-American Alliance, Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman and Mayor Sam Adams this morning announced their joint request to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for an independent federal civil rights investigation of the Jan. 29 shooting death of Aaron Campbell. That investigation, which comes via the written request [PDF] of U.S. Sen Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland), ...   More

News City Commissioner Dan Saltzman elaborated at a news conference this morning about his request to the federal Justice Department and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for a full civil rights investigation into last month's fatal Portland police shooting of Aaron Campbell. "It's going to the top -- the top of the top -- of the U.S. Department of Justice," said Saltzman, who's in charge of the ...   More

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News After more than a week spent standing back while City Commissioner Dan Saltzman and, more recently, City Commissioner Randy Leonard addressed last month's fatal Portland police shooting of Aaron Campbell, Mayor Sam Adams stepped forcefully into the debate this morning. Hours before Rev. Jesse Jackson brings the national spotlight to Portland tonight by speaking at a rally, Adams made an unannounced ...   More

News African-American leaders from Portland this morning blasted City Hall and Portland police, calling for reforms at a rally in the wake of a Multnomah County grand jury's decision not to indict an officer involved in a fatal shooting. Nearly 100 people including religious leaders, former state lawmakers, political candidates and activists gathered on the steps on the downtown Justice Center. They ...   More

News I was out of town yesterday reporting on another story. So I just got around to reading the flap about the item in this week's Murmurs about City Commissioner Dan Saltzman and Police Chief Rosie Sizer. I reported that Saltzman, who oversees the police bureau, said in an interview that Sizer has said she plans to retire when she's eligible for full benefits in July. Now I read on Jack Bogdanski's ...   More