Readers Respond to Icy Dialogue Between Portland’s Police Chief and the Mayor’s Former Chief of Staff

Last week, WW wrote about an icy Nov. 5 dialogue between Mayor Ted Wheeler's then-chief of staff Michael Cox and Police Chief Danielle Outlaw over arrests of political brawlers ("Quote of the Week," WW, March 13, 2019). At Cox's prodding to apprehend more right-wing brawlers at an upcoming rally, Outlaw replied: "Does this mean you'll be coming out with us on the 17th, Mr. Cox?" The texts demonstrate the tension that has been brewing between Wheeler's office and the Portland Police Bureau since November. Here's what readers have to say.

Donnie danko, via Twitter: "Imagine how nice this city would be if [Mayor] Wheeler wasn't terrified of the police union."

Mike, via Twitter: "These city servants need to take a heavy communication training stat and recognize they're supposed to be working together for the public."

Dedrekon, via Twitter: "Why not arrest ALL brawlers? The city should be enforcing the law, not picking sides."

Tony Sloan, via Facebook: "So harassment and blocking a street is the same as physical assault?"

Willie Charles, via Twitter: "Doesn't matter who you are. You get violent, you break the law, you get arrested. End of discussion."

Hairywall, via wweek.com: "Everyone is filming everything, so evidence abounds."

Jim Gardner, via wweek.com: "As usual, things are not so simple. In chaotic, mob-scene environments, the police may see a crime committed—say, a punch thrown—and must make an instant decision. Do they wait for a later, calmer time to identify and detain the aggressor, or do they charge in and forcibly make an arrest?"

Baffledil, via Reddit: "This is bullshit, and I expected better."

Casual-pickle, via Reddit: "I still believe in the ideal of an impartial system. And if you think it's 'bad' now, go read some of the history of how our justice system worked even 50 or 100 years ago."

Verdammt, via Reddit: "PPB has lost all credibility in my mind."

Homerhomer, via Reddit: "That job has to be tough. Every police chief in Portland gets trampled with controversy."

CORRECTION

A recent item on Amazon renting downtown office space ("Welcome to the Jungle," WW, March 6, 2019) incorrectly stated Amazon declined to comment. In fact, Amazon returned calls after press deadline. (The company says it has 400 Portland employees, and is currently hiring for 100 more jobs.) The story also said incorrectly that Amazon Web Services specializes in streaming video. It handles cloud computing, which includes but is not limited to streaming video. WW regrets the errors.