- Illustration: Mark Markovich
PAUL DE MUNIZ could be called the linchpin of Portland police reform.
A former head of the Oregon Supreme Court and one of the state's most respected voices on justice issues, De Muniz serves as an ear to the streets. He's the crucial anchor for a team of national researchers charged with listening to Portlanders' concerns about cops and offering frank, potentially unwelcome reports that might reshape the Portland Police Bureau.
So where is the former justice headquartered for this brashly independent role? Right next to the very police he's supposed to be hearing complaints about.
Roughly a month ago, De Muniz quietly relocated his office from an East Portland community center to the same East Burnside building that houses traffic cops and the Office of Neighborhood Involvement's crime prevention staff. City officials promise the situation is temporary, and De Muniz is holding meetings with community members outside the city building.
But there does not appear to be an active search underway to find him new digs. What's more, those watching Portland's police reform process complain the move was never announced. They worry De Muniz's current office sends a signal to the community that contradicts the independence he's supposed to represent.
