Readers Respond to a Portland Police Commander Politicking in Uniform

“That’s a huge part of their job that’s now obsolete. Perhaps they can focus on real crimes now.”

Southeast 146th Avenue and Stark Street. (Wesley Lapointe)
By WW Staff

In January, East Precinct Commander Erica Hurley attended a Lents neighborhood crime group in full uniform during work hours on behalf of the Portland Police Bureau. Hurley told attendees that if they wanted to reduce crime, they should vote Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt out of office ("About Schmidt," WW, March 17, 2021). In her remarks, Hurley seemed to conflate Schmidt's election with voter approval of Ballot Measure 110, which decriminalized drug possession. Her statements could be a violation of bureau directives, which prohibit officers from supporting politicians or ballot measures while in uniform. Here's what our readers had to say:

Andy Palmquist via wweek.com: "Dear Erica, no one cares about low-level arrests for drug prevention. That's why the state legalized low levels of drugs. The [Portland Police Association] has made such a big deal out of the amount of officers they're hamstrung with; why would you want to dedicate police officers to arresting people with small amounts of drugs instead of focusing on deadly violence in the city? Stop politicking on the city's time. We don't pay you to promote political candidates."

Dustmopp via wweek.com: "Low-level drug arrests are definitely not where I want my tax money going towards. It is criminal how little the police care about actual violence. PPB is a useless drain on our funds."

@mojojodi8 via Twitter: "She seems to say in the same breath that there's nothing we can do about the drug 'crimes,' yet [police] are overworked and underfunded. That's a huge part of their job that's now obsolete. Perhaps they can focus on real crimes now."

Truman Grandy via Facebook: "'Nice little community you got here. Be a real shame if, PPB forbid! something should happen to it.' Un-policing. Held hostage."

Barbara Bennett via Facebook: "The police are stuck between a rock and a hard place. It has to be horrible to risk your life every day but then have the DA, mayor and other city/county officials not have your back."

David R Shapiro via Facebook: "I voted for [Schmidt], but his revolving door policy for destructive activism was extremely politically biased and frustrating to the police. When Mike is up for reelection, I will reconsider my vote."

TK via wweek.com: "There are so many disingenuous correlations here it would be laughable if it weren't unethical. Calls for pitchforks and torches for the DA when discussing not being able to make minor drug arrests, a result of the ballot measure. If that wasn't dishonest enough, she fails to mention the police didn't waste their time busting homeless people for minor drug offenses BEFORE the ballot measure. But hey, don't waste an opportunity to grind that ax."

@UselessPouch via Twitter: "The fact that she didn't even know who the [Portland Bureau of Transportation] commissioner is just proves the cops don't live in, or give an actual fk about, our city. They just want our money and power over us."

@RufusT_Firefly_ via Twitter: "The crime problems in Portland were happening prior to Mike Schmidt, prior to drug legalization, prior to riots…the entire country is seeing spikes in crimes since the COVID pandemic, and PPB have been criticized for being ineffective prior to it. PPB is gaslighting us."

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