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Police reform in Portland since May has been modest.
There was a structural funding cut of about $15 million and the city council shut down school resource officers and a detestably racist gang unit (recently rebranded as a gun violence prevention unit)
There was a structural funding cut of about $15 million and the city council shut down school resource officers and a detestably racist gang unit (recently rebranded as a gun violence prevention unit)
Portland also has a new African American police chief @ChiefCLovell
But in a significant irony, Lovell served early in his career as a school resource officer (one of the police units recently disbanded).
But in a significant irony, Lovell served early in his career as a school resource officer (one of the police units recently disbanded).
In that capacity, Lovell's alleged brutality against a student -- who was detained and handcuffed for being disrespectful to a school administrator -- was part of a federal lawsuit.
The incident has gotten some glancing coverage, but largely been memory holed.
The facts of the case were not significantly in dispute. I will note here that a jury ultimately rejected that the officers had acted unreasonably, and the case was "dismissed on the merits"
The facts of the case were not significantly in dispute. I will note here that a jury ultimately rejected that the officers had acted unreasonably, and the case was "dismissed on the merits"
Here is an academic journal's review of the case: https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-222229574/handcuffing-discipline?fbclid=IwAR2jCqRArMT176kiK2ZUljVMrmTTGqPdc6ogfxjNi-yQxkDMBWOUtzTKa9E
I dug up some of the court documents on PACER, which I'm posting here in the public interest.
Here's Lovell's response to the complaint https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7033678-Lovell-Response.html
And a preview of @ChiefCLovell 's witness testimony:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7033677-Lovell-Anticipated-Testimony.html
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7033677-Lovell-Anticipated-Testimony.html
This phrase resonates with the chief's current approach to policing:
"Officer Lovell explained that when someone becomes combative or begins to actively resist, officers must take control of that person regardless of the setting or the person’s age, gender or status."
"Officer Lovell explained that when someone becomes combative or begins to actively resist, officers must take control of that person regardless of the setting or the person’s age, gender or status."
The uncontested facts of this case offer an object lesson for why police officers should not have any routine presence in a public school setting.
