BOOM. No he dih-unt. Jesse Cornett has challenged Dan Saltzman to a public debate about police issues:

Commissioner Saltzman,

Portlanders have a wide range of experiences and opinions about the Portland Police Bureau, and we all have a vested interest in the law enforcement that keeps our streets safe. After recent tragedies involving Portland Police Officers’ use of deadly force, it would be a benefit for the City if you, as the Police Commissioner, were to more clearly express your views on police reform issues to give all Portlanders a clear accounting of where you stand.

In my campaign, I’ve talked openly about my wide-ranging experiences with public safety. From first attending college with the hopes of becoming a police officer and sadly having a close friend taken from me at the hands of Portland Police Officer, I’ve had the opportunity to look at the system like few others.

The City of Portland deserves to know that their Police will be well managed and have proactive solutions to reduce the number of instances of deadly force and have a defined course of action to be taken when the instance occurs. The police, potential victims, and the public at large need to have a playbook to consider in order to have confidence we aren’t making it up as we go.

Portland needs assurance that we have a good grasp on these issues. I hereby challenge you to a public forum where the two of us will debate some of the issues at hand as it pertains to police and police accountability issues, such as:

Should the police commissioner show up to officer-involved shootings?
Should grand jury transcripts be released, or not?
Should officers be tested for drug use?
What role should citizens have in determining whether an officer’s actions were appropriate?
In what type cases should the Civil Rights Division be called to investigate incidents?
How long should it take to complete the investigation?

It would be my pleasure to coordinate the logistics upon finding a mutually agreeable time and moderator. I am open to your suggestion of time, location and moderator. Since this is such a critical issue, I will debate you on this topic anytime or anywhere.

I look forward to your prompt reply to this request.


I hope Saltzman takes on the challenge.