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The City of Portland, Oregon

Independent Police Review

Independent Police Review is a police oversight agency, and is independent and autonomous from the Portland Police Bureau.

phone: 503-823-0146

fax: 503-823-4571

1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 140, Portland, OR 97204

January 11, 2001

MINUTES: Police Internal Investigations Auditing Committee
January 11, 2001
Citizen Advisors Present: Charles Ford, Presiding; Denise Stone; Ric Alexander; Shirlie Karl; Leora Mahoney; Robert Wells; Les Frank
City Staff Present: Capt. Smith, IAD; LT Bechard; IAD Sergeants; M.l Hess, PIIAC
Media Present: Dan Handelman (Flying Focus Video)
This meeting opened at 6:30 p.m. in the Rose Room of Portland City Hall.
PIIAC #00-25 (IAD #98-209)
The Appellant was present. Citizen Advisor Les Frank presented this case, involving the Appellant’s allegations that a Portland Police officer stopped him for a traffic violation because he was an African American man driving a Corvette. He alleged that the officer did not make any racial comments, but by not showing up for traffic court he proved that the stop was racially motivated.
Mr. Frank stated that after thorough examination of the IAD file, he concluded that there was no evidence that the officer had stopped or arrested the Appellant based on his race, and that there were documents in the file documenting that the officer attempted to have the court date set over because he had two other court cases in another court at the same time.
Mr. Frank moved to recommend affirmation of the Police Bureau’s finding of Insufficient Evidence for disparate treatment. Ric Alexander seconded the motion. The motion passed by majority vote. Yes = 5 (Frank, Ford, Mahoney, Alexander, Karl). No = 2 (Stone, Wells). Dr. Hess informed the Appellant that he could appeal the PIIAC Advisors’ decision to City Council by providing written notification within 30 days.
PIIAC #00-19 (IAD #00-262)
The Appellant was not present. Citizen Advisor Shirlie Karl presented this case. It involved allegations that police officers responding to a domestic violence call falsely arrested the appellant and refused to call a supervisor as requested by the appellant. The appellant further alleged officers were rude to him and refused to give him their identification when he asked for it.
After reading her examination report, Ms. Karl moved to recomment affiirmation of the IAD Captain’s decision to decline to investigate two aspects of the complaint (false arrest and refusal to call a supervisor) and to investigate the courtesy aspect of the complaint as an Inquiry. Mr. Wells seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:30 p.m.
 
 
Submitted by Michael H. Hess, D.D.S., PIIAC Examiner
 
 
Approved: 5/10/01