- illustration by drew bardana
Commissioner Amanda Fritz and Mayor Charlie Hales this afternoon have officially identified the three candidates we revealed last week. They've also laid out the partly public interview process (on Monday September 29) for vetting those finalists and providing feedback, and identified some of the volunteers and experts who'll be helping with that work.
The three candidates are:
● John Campbell of Campbell DeLong Resources Inc., a Portland firm that has provided research, training, facilitation, and planning for the purpose of public safety problem-solving, community-oriented policing, and the goal of more effective law enforcement results since 1989.
● Dennis Rosenbaum of Chicago, executive director of the National Police Research Platform, which oversees a seven-university research program in more than 100 U.S. cities, funded by the National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice, to advance the current state of knowledge and practice in American law enforcement.
● Daniel Ward of Portland, executive director of the Oregon Drug and Alcohol Policy Commission and a former CEO (2009-12) of Metro Crisis Services Inc. in Colorado.
“We are pleased to continue moving forward with the letter and spirit of the Department of Justice settlement, through the process of hiring the Compliance Officer/Community Liaison,” Mayor Charlie Hales said. “Since the request for proposals became public in January, these candidates have shown great patience as we have worked through the process. This is a major step forward in the city’s commitment to the settlement.”
“I encourage all Portlanders to engage in this process, first to advise on selection of the Compliance Officer/Community Liaison and then in the crucial work of making Portland a safer place for people experiencing mental illnesses,” said Commissioner Amanda Fritz, a retired psychiatric nurse. “The Settlement Agreement clearly assigns responsibility and accountability for police actions to all five Council members. I am eager to do my part to ensure equitable treatment of every citizen, with respect for all.”
You'll note that the city has not officially included links to the applicants' full resumés and applications. You should click here to check those out.
The release makes clear that these names surfaced from a pile of just 12 serious applications—which is remarkably low. As we reported a couple of weeks ago, the city had hoped to send a larger list of applicants to its selection committee—with that list being whittled down to three names who'd be made public and sent to city elected officials. The release also notes City Auditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade, whose office includes the city's Independent Police Review division, cited that work as a conflict of interest in declining an invitation to join city commissioners in joining in final interviews.
The selection committee remains empowered to toss candidates, even though that would mean reopening the hiring process—and one of it members, Jason Renaud of the Mental Health Association of Portland—has already gone on record with the Mercury saying he hopes that's what happens. Our review of the finalists find only two with deep mental health policy experience, which is a big deal given that the city's reform deal with the federal Department of Justice is meant to answer claims our officers have engaged in a pattern or practice of using excessive force against people with mental illness.
Update 9:35 AM, Thursday: Renaud sent out a statement last night explaining that neither nor the Mental Health Association of Portland will be joining the selection panel—while also restating his contention that the three finalists aren't right for the job.
The three current candidates to be presented to City Council do not have the sufficient qualifications to be successful in the COCL position. They appear to be thoughtful men, each with an aspect of the qualities needed, but a quick scan of their resumes shows none are fully capable to monitor DOJ v. City of Portland.
To accept the current candidates is to resign the city to another layer of police oversight and eventual failure; and to promote all or any as a best candidate expects a rubber stamp of approval.
City Hall, by disrespecting the concerns of our community, tries to spoon-feed us the agreement, and we’re supposed to say it’s tasty. Actually it makes us trust the city’s police even less than we did before.
Renaud had been identified as a selection committee member in a city document attached below. After Renaud's statement, Fritz sent word that the list was in error and that the spot apparently assigned to Renaud will be filled by another mental health advocate, Beckie Child. (Renaud's statement has been appended to the bottom of this post.)///
After the jump, you can read the full release, see who's on the selection committee, and find a detailed schedule for how the interviews will progress.
(Pleas note, if you somehow skipped over the update above: The city has issued a correction to this chart; Beckie Child will be filling the spot listed as given to Jason Renaud)
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10, 2014 – The City of Portland is moving forward with the latest requirement of a police-reform agreement crafted with the U.S. Department of Justice: hiring a Compliance Officer/Community Liaison to oversee the City’s compliance with those reforms.
On Aug. 29, Federal Judge Michael Simon approved the settlement between the DOJ and the city.
The three candidates are:
● John Campbell of Campbell DeLong Resources Inc., a Portland firm that has provided research, training, facilitation, and planning for the purpose of public safety problem-solving, community-oriented policing, and the goal of more effective law enforcement results since 1989.
● Dennis Rosenbaum of Chicago, executive director of the National Police Research Platform, which oversees a seven-university research program in more than 100 U.S. cities, funded by the National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice, to advance the current state of knowledge and practice in American law enforcement.
● Daniel Ward of Portland, executive director of the Oregon Drug and Alcohol Policy Commission and a former CEO (2009-12) of Metro Crisis Services Inc. in Colorado.
“We are pleased to continue moving forward with the letter and spirit of the Department of Justice settlement, through the process of hiring the Compliance Officer/Community Liaison,” Mayor Charlie Hales said. “Since the request for proposals became public in January, these candidates have shown great patience as we have worked through the process. This is a major step forward in the city’s commitment to the settlement.”
“I encourage all Portlanders to engage in this process, first to advise on selection of the Compliance Officer/Community Liaison and then in the crucial work of making Portland a safer place for people experiencing mental illnesses,” said Commissioner Amanda Fritz, a retired psychiatric nurse. “The Settlement Agreement clearly assigns responsibility and accountability for police actions to all five Council members. I am eager to do my part to ensure equitable treatment of every citizen, with respect for all.”Twelve people initially applied for the position in January. Assessment of the applications has been coordinated by Joe Wahl, Deputy Director of the Office of Equity and Human Rights, in partnership with Commissioner Fritz and a planning committee of City staff and community members. Panels of reviewers – including community members with experience in mental health care services, the Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform, and city staff – chose the three candidates to be interviewed.
The DOJ settlement requires the City to identify a list of three potential candidates for public review, from which the City Council will select one.
The candidates will be interviewed on Monday, Sept. 29. Community members are welcome to observe. (See attached schedule.) The initial presentations by the candidates will be broadcast on Channel 30 via Portland Community Media, and the video posted on the City’s website. With input from the Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition and advocates for people experiencing mental illness, an advisory group has been created to help work through the selection process for hiring the COCL. (See attached list of advisory group members.)The City Council also will interview the candidates, in addition to the community process. The City Auditor, Portland’s sixth elected official, was invited to participate in these interviews but declined.
“While I appreciate the invitation to participate in the interview of the three COCL candidates, I must recuse myself from that process,” said Auditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade. “The person hired in this position will be responsible for evaluating a number of aspects of the City’s compliance with the DOJ agreement, including the work of the Independent Police Review (IPR) division in my office. My participation in the selection process would create a serious and inappropriate conflict for my role as City Auditor and as the elected official charged with oversight of IPR.”
Following the interviews on Sept. 29, the DOJ Settlement requires a 30-day public comment period for community advice to the Council on which candidate should be selected. Public input will be welcome through Oct. 29. An email address and phone number for comments will be announced on Sept. 29.
The Council is expected to enter into contract negotiations later this fall.
After the hiring of the Compliance Officer/Community Liaison, the next step is the creation of a Community Oversight Advisory Board, or COAB, to work with the COCL on assessing whether the Police Bureau and the City are meeting the terms of the DOJ agreement.
“I want to thank Commissioner Fritz and the advisory group for their work,” Hales said. “As a Portlander, and as Police Commissioner, I take these issues seriously, and so does the community. Hiring the compliance officer is a major step forward for the City Council. I look forward to having the officer’s independent assessment of the positive changes already made as well as advice about how to implement the remaining tasks.”
COCL Interview Process, Monday, September 29, 2014
In a theater-style venue, each candidate will have a maximum of 25 minutes to present an overview of their plan in an open public meeting with all members of the Advisory Committee in the audience. The order of presentations will be assigned by random drawing. Candidates will not observe other teams’ presentations. No additional questions from the Advisory Committee or the public will be asked in this phase. The presentations will be covered by Portland Community Media, with videos posted on the City’s website and broadcast on Channel 30.
After a break, candidates will rotate through three panel interviews moderated by facilitators, where Advisory Committee members will ask follow-up questions to clarify statements made in initial presentations, and explore the additional questions assigned to each group. Each panel interview will be 40 minutes. Interview rooms will be open to the public, however only Advisory Committee members will interact with the candidates.
Community interviews will be concluded by 1:05 p.m. Candidates will be interviewed by pairs of the City Council later in the afternoon, or the previous day.
Schedule:
9 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. Applicant presentations in Portland Building Auditorium or City Council chambers. Each 25 minutes with 5 minute break in between.
9:00 a.m – 9:25 a.m. 1st presentation
9:25 a.m – 9:30 a.m. 1st break
9:30 a.m. – 9:55 a.m. 2nd presentation
9:55 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 2nd break
10:00 a.m.– 10:25 a.m. 3rd presentation10:25 a.m. – 10:35 a.m. Break, then candidates and Advisory Committee members go to first panel interviews (10 min)
10:35 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. First small-group interview sessions (40 min)
11:15 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. Break, snacks, candidates rotate (20 min)
11:35 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Second small-group interview sessions (40 min)
12:15 p.m. – 12:25 p.m. Break, candidates rotate (10 min)
12:25 p.m. – 1:05 p.m. Third small-group interview sessions (40 min)
1:05 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Break, lunch provided for Advisory Committee (40 min)
1:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Advisory Committee discussion, recommendation to Council on whether to forward all three applicants for public review and 30-day comment period. Public meeting, audience may observe, no public comment at this time. (2 hours)
Renaud's statement on behalf of the Mental Health Association of Portland:
For over a decade advocates for people with mental illness have steadily watched one police reform effort after another launch grandly and flop summarily. The settlement in DOJ v. City of Portland has been, from our point of view, just one more flop.
According to police, most of the agreement items are well underway, and many are finished. But with no decrease in police violence toward persons with mental illness those “well underway or already complete” fixes show their unilateral actions to be unsuccessful.
Mental health advocates opposed the settlement of DOJ v. City of Portland because it does not protect our friends from certain and continuing harm by police officers. The evidence of failure is already available. The homeless are still routinely hassled and routed; two persons with mental illness were shot and killed by police officers so far this year; it took 100 officers to collect a young sick man waving an air pistol on Labor Day.
The settlement agreement calls for an independent court monitor to report to U.S. Judge Michael Simon and to the Portland City Council on the implementation of over 100 action items.
The court monitor, called a “Compliance Officer / Community Liaison,” or COCL, must scrutinize fixes made by the police and report on progress or lack thereof. With a broad perspective developed from substantial experience, the COCL will be tasked with evaluating what has been done - and what ought to be done - to improve safety from police officers for persons with mental illness.
To be effective and assert justice, the COCL must bring a complex set of skills to this work.
• The COCL must have the ability to listen to people who have mental illness and understand their experience, from their perspective - not a police perspective, not a neutral perspective, not a clinician’s perspective. Only the perspective credentialed by lived experience of mental illness will illuminatesolutions and should guide implementation, from a potent mix of compassion, presence, resources, authority and action. Further, the COCL must be able to distill that lived experience into an assessment of trust - not by meeting a vetted set of advocates, but by listening to a wide variety of people, some of whom may be reluctant to talk due to mistrust of police and repeated city outreach failures.
• The COCL must be adept at issues concerning racial justice, because persons of color who also have a mental illness are at extreme risk of police violence. Additionally, their friends, families, neighbors and caretakers need to gain trust and confidence that police officers won’t bring more danger than help when called to a crisis.
• The COCL must know how a confluence of collected data influences both police actions and oversight. Use-of-force by officers is closely tracked by the PPB in-house, but as of today, no independent and empowered person has had access to those files or the resulting data. A successful COCL will show past experience extracting and analyzing data to determine whether police and the city are in compliance with the court agreement.
• The COCL must have demonstrated capacity to speak truth to power and hold the police bureau, its administrators and individual officers, accountable to the settlement, both items and spirit.
The three current candidates to be presented to City Council do not have the sufficient qualifications to be successful in the COCL position. They appear to be thoughtful men, each with an aspect of the qualities needed, but a quick scan of their resumes shows none are fully capable to monitor DOJ v. City of Portland.
To accept the current candidates is to resign the city to another layer of police oversight and eventual failure; and to promote all or any as a best candidate expects a rubber stamp of approval.
City Hall, by disrespecting the concerns of our community, tries to spoon-feed us the agreement, and we’re supposed to say it’s tasty. Actually it makes us trust the city’s police even less than we did before.
After being routinely ignored, our community needs a sign of good faith - such as a public announcement the city has rethought its blind rush to tap any candidate in a storm.
City Council should acknowledge the current candidates are not sufficiently qualified, and post the RFQ again, invite the current candidates to re-apply, and select a “Compliance Officer / Community Liaison” with both the necessary and sufficient skills.
