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Last week’s WW cover story examined the list kept by Multnomah County prosecutors of local police officers whose past actions could raise questions if they testify in court (”The Odd Squad,” Aug. 10). Such lists are commonly known as Brady lists, although the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office says its is broader than is typical. Funny, that: Just three current Portland police officers are on the list, two of them for drunken driving convictions. Readers were struck by the brevity of the list, as well as Officer Andrew Caspar’s false claim he couldn’t chase a theft suspect because of Obama administration policies. Here’s what our readers had to say:
Stephanie Dueck, via Facebook: “That was a sad and eye-opening read.”
TK, via wweek.com: “[Officer Andrew] Caspar and his ‘hurry up and wait it out/let’s get out of the area before we have to take the call’ tactic is hardly some outlier in police circles. They’re human, and humans love to take the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, it’s absolutely the wrong job for those humans.”
TedsFaustianBargain, via wweek.com: “Ah, when the city drops even the pretense of having a reason to pay someone six figures plus benefits.”
Dubious, via wweek.com: “It’s disturbing to see how many chances local public employees get before they’re fired. It reminds me of the investigation into the Hardesty false hit-and-run story; when they investigated the folks in the call center, nearly every one of them had numerous past disciplinary infractions on their records. I’ve worked for different governments at various levels and I have never seen the level of forgiveness, and monetary rewards, present in Portland HR decisions.”
PDXBill, via wweek.com: “The common thread in this article is public employee unions defending the outrageous behavior of their members. From what I have personally seen, firefighters are as corrupt as the police. If you want my respect and support, discipline your own ranks.”
tompetersonwristwatch, via wweek.com: “Worth mentioning, three individuals on the list (Timeus, Stradley, Reeves) were with West Linn PD, and are on that list due to the well-covered scandal involving their illegal arrest of Michael Fesser utilizing [the Portland Police Bureau’s] assistance (Maxine Bernstein did a terrific job covering it and the aftermath up until recently). Stradley, of course, had a long, storied career at PPB before retiring and joining West Linn, and used his connections with PPB to facilitate Fesser’s arrest in Portland.”
Bill Green, via Twitter: “I don’t have an issue with WW applying scrutiny to the PPB. But I really, really wish they had the same zeal for looking at the byzantine array of PDX nonprofits and government agencies that are ostensibly providing services to the homeless/drug addicted/mentally unwell.”
Riddle Me This, via wweek.com: “I had to check my calendar…WW doing smart investigative reporting? Did I wake up in 2003?”
LETTERS to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: PO Box 10770, Portland OR, 97296 Email: mzusman@wweek.com
