Yesterday we reported that concerns are being raised about the location of two upcoming appeals in front of the Independent Police Review’s (IPR’s) Citizen Review Committee (CRC).

The appeals, scheduled for next Tuesday, will be held at the Multnomah County Courthouse, on SW 4th, which has metal detectors and is staffed by sheriff’s deputies. Copwatch activist Dan Handelman says he’s concerned that such as setting is likely to intimidate the appellants in the appeals, and that he’d prefer for the appeals to be held either at City Hall or out in the community, as they often are.

CRC chair Hank Miggins just called up to respond to Handelman’s concerns. Miggins said he’s trying to have meetings out of city hall which he sees as “a symbol of the police bureau.”

I asked him whether he thought the Multnomah County Courthouse mightn’t appear just as tied up with the police bureau in the mind of the appellants, and he couldn’t respond to that.

He said “if Dan is concerned about this I don’t know why he hasn’t spoken to me,” and added that “I’m trying to hold these meetings away from city hall but we don’t have any money, and even the community centers are starting to ask for money to hold these meetings.”

The courthouse is free. I’ve given Handelman Miggins’ number so they can talk it over—let’s hope the issue can be resolved.

UPDATE: Handelman says he did speak to Miggins, at the last CRC meeting, in his public comments. Handelman says he’s also spoken with Miggins this afternoon, who “didn’t see what the intimidating factor was” about holding it in the courthouse.