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REVIEW OF POLICE BUREAU’S RACIAL AND POLITICAL BIAS NEARS COMPLETION: Portlanders can expect the city to release an outside contractor’s review of possible political and racial bias at the Portland Police Bureau by the end of next month, according to the City Attorney’s Office. In April, a few weeks after police leaked an incorrect allegation that Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty was involved in a hit-and-run crash on March 3, the city signed a $150,000 contract with the California-based OIR Group to conduct an outside review of the community’s perception of racial and political bias and resistance to change within the bureau. The contract also says the review will probe “the root causes” of those three matters. It stipulates that the OIR Group will deliver a final report to the City Attorney’s Office “no later than Dec. 31, 2021.” City Attorney Robert Taylor says the report is near completion. “The cultural review by OIR Group remains underway, and we expect it to be completed and released by the end of January,” Taylor tells WW. This inquiry is separate from the outside investigation into the police leak itself, which is also being conducted by the OIR Group. That investigation is not expected to be complete until the Police Bureau concludes its own internal affairs investigation into the matter.
KOTEK COLLECTS KEY ENDORSEMENTS: In her run for governor, House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) has secured the endorsement of the Oregon Nurses Association, the largest union of nurses in the state, representing 15,000 members. It’s a significant if not surprising endorsement for Kotek, who lags in fundraising behind two other candidates for governor: Betsy Johnson and Nicholas Kristof. Kotek, an ally of labor, is expected to rely heavily on union support for fundraising. She’s also received the endorsement of several trade unions; Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, better known as PCUN, which represents farmworkers; and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, whose money and membership are highly coveted by Democratic candidates. “We know nurses can count on Tina,” said Bruce Humphreys, president of the Oregon Nurses Political Action Committee board of directors, in a statement.
MALWARE HITS DINING AND DRIVING: Ransomware and malware attacks are hamstringing some major Oregon institutions. Last week, pub and hotel chain McMenamins suffered a ransomware attack that left its employees’ personal information potentially compromised. (Ransomware is the work of hackers who seize company computer systems and demand payment.) Headquarters today told WW that its email and phone systems are currently unavailable because of the attack. McMenamins told the newspaper last week that some restaurants were using credit card imprinters, or handheld devices that copy the face of the card, and storing the information until cards could be charged once systems were back up (they now are, according to a spokesperson). McMenamins said in an information sheet sent to employees Dec. 21: “The files impacted contained employee Social Security numbers. There was a potential that the thieves accessed files containing direct deposit bank account information, but we do not have a clear indication that they did so.” Meanwhile, the Oregon Department of Transportation says its Rose Quarter project site was attacked by malware. The agency is creating an interim site for the highway project.
LAST CHANCE TO GIVE: Give!Guide has surpassed $4 million in donations from 12,554 donors. Give!Guide is Willamette Week’s annual effort to raise funds for—and draw attention to—the good works of local nonprofits. With 10 days remaining in this year’s campaign, G!G has raised 63% of its $6.5 million goal. The last day to give is Dec. 31.
