Oregon lawmakers on police reform: 'We should remain hungry for justice'

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon lawmakers continue the debate around police reform in Salem, weeks after the state house passed a broad package of bills aimed at things like improving training and increasing checks and balances in the hiring process.

The measures need to pass the Senate before being signed by the governor. Still, some are calling on state and local leaders to do more.

The effort in Salem, led by Democratic Representative Janelle Bynum and Republican Representative Ron Noble, follows a year of nationwide outcry for social and racial justice following George Floyd’s death.

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“I think what we’re looking at is building a foundation and changing the foundation that things are currently built on and building a system of legislation that incorporates trust, accountability, community input, good labor practices,” said Bynum.

Bynum, representing parts of Clackamas County, highlighted an incident that happened in Portland last September when she encouraged her colleagues to approve HB2929.

The bill would require officers to report misconduct of another officer to a supervisor within 72 hours. It would also call on agencies to conduct internal reviews into misconduct within three months. There are also debates about making this information public.

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“Sunlight is the best disinfectant. I am a transparency believer,” said Bynum. “Unless we hold ourselves to a higher standard and know that our transgressions in some cases may be public, it doesn’t really give us a chance to reflect, and it doesn’t really give us a chance to be held fully accountable."

Bynum went on to say:

This is not about shame. This is not about ridicule. It’s simply about accountability and transparency.

She believes the bill could have prevented what happened to Elijah Warren, or at the very least, the lack of answers he’s gotten since the incident in September.

On the 100th night of protests in Portland, a crowd gathered in Southeast Portland’s Ventura Park – blocks from Warren’s home. Officers said the group targeted them with fireworks and other items and eventually cleared protesters with crowd control munitions and tear gas.

Nearby, Warren and his son were inside their home, when suddenly, Warren said their eyes started burning.

“When the tear gas was coming in my house, my reaction was to try to close the windows to stop it from coming in,” said Warren.

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He said he eventually went outside and walked up to a group of officers on a street corner near his home. He said he asked them what was going on and why tear gas was coming into his home. He said officers ran off to arrest someone, then came back to finish the conversation.

“I honestly only got a few words out, like to actually engage, to finish the conversation, and while that was happening, that’s when I was hit,” said Warren.

Warren said he didn’t see the hit coming and had no idea who it was. He was shocked to turn around and see an officer behind him.

“I didn’t think it was a police officer. My first thing was to defend myself and then, when I turned to the direction where the blow came from, that’s when I realized it was a police officer,” said Warren.

So far, Warren said he has no idea if that officer has been punished, though other officers witnessed the incident. Warren said they shouted at the officer that he was a homeowner, not a protester.

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The city's independent police review is investigating the incident, but it is unclear if the officer has been punished. Warren said the incident has led to his son not trusting police and being scared of them as well.

“It really made me just kind of hurt for my son, because the protest was for that very issue, and I did everything that they say you’re supposed to do right. And it still happened," recounted Warren.

"So, I feel like no matter what you do, whatever you’re supposed to do right, even if you do it right, being a Black man, the outcome is still going to be the same,” said Warren through tears.

Bynum said Warren’s case is one reason she’s so motivated to address police reform in Oregon this year, in addition to her own children.

A couple of bills in this session focus on hiring and training law enforcement officers. There are also measures to strengthen the ability of agency leaders to punish officers who commit misconduct.

Representative Ron Noble, a former police chief, said it’s important to give agency leaders the ability to make decisions about who is on their force.

“I can train people how to be a cop. I cannot train them how to be trustworthy. I can’t train character. I can’t train just the work ethic. I can train them how to do the job if they have those other things. I have to be able to do that, and then I have to be able to hold people accountable when they make a mistake,” said Noble.

Noble echoed what other chiefs and sheriffs have said – that current state law and labor arbitration make it too hard to effectively discipline and dismiss officers. Legislation making that easier has not passed out of the House yet.

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Labor lawyers are fighting changes to the arbitration because they believe it will lead to unjustified firings.

Still, there are some who say what's being done isn't enough given the nationwide outrage following Floyd's death. Noble acknowledged the window of opportunity is open now, so taking advantage is important.

“I think we should remain hungry for justice. What we’ve put on the plate isn’t nearly enough to satisfy anyone who has felt like their receiving end of justice just goes wrong every single time,” said Bynum. “We’ve bitten off a lot. I hope people appreciate, but it’s ok if they don’t. I’m not going to stop fighting.”

“I would like to see this as a foundation. The house isn’t built yet. I understand when people say you should be doing more, and maybe we should, and there’s still opportunity. We have more bills that we’re working on,” said Noble.

Warren said he hoped lawmakers had courage to support legislation making meaningful change. Ultimately, he and others said they want accountability.

“We need the police. Everybody knows you need the police, but people want accountability to go along with that. We don’t want the police to just be able to do whatever they want and then still be able to come back to a job and do it to somebody else,” said Warren.